Geography & environment — Latvia
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Latvia: Europe
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Europe
- Geographic Coordinates
57 00 N, 25 00 E
- Total Area
24,938 Square Miles 64,589 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
24,034 Square Miles 62,249 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
903 Square Miles 2,340 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
859 Miles 1,382 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km
- Coastline
309 Miles 498 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
low plain
- Highest Point
312 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Gaizinkalns 312 m
- Lowest Point Location
Baltic Sea 0 m
- Natural Resources
peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land
- Irrigated Land
3 Square Miles 8 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate
- Climate
Only three European countries-Estonia, Finland, and Iceland-are farther north in their entirety than Latvia, which has latitude of between 55° and 58° and a longitude of between 20° and 28°. During most of December and January, the sun does not rise until after 9 a.m. and sets as early as 3 p.m. On the other hand, to compensate, the longest day of summer lasts almost 18 hours. In spite of its northern location, daytime winter temperatures average only slightly below freezing because of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf Stream. Daytime summer temperatures average about 70°F. The maritime climate also accounts for the country's frequent cloud cover and considerable precipitation (average per year is about 25 inches).
- Terrain
low plain
- Location
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
- Total Area
24,938 Square Miles 64,589 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence
the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household and hazardous waste management, and reduction of air pollution
in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010
- Environment - International Agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements