LATVIA

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT: Latvia covers an area of about 63,700 sq km (about 24,600 sq mi), making it slightly larger than the state of West Virginia. It is bounded on the west by the Baltic Sea, on the north by Estonia and the Gulf of Rīga (a deep inlet of the Baltic Sea), on the east by Russia, and on the south by Belarus and Lithuania. Latvia’s land borders extend 1,150 km (715 mi). Its coastline extends 531 km (330 mi) and includes many sandy beaches and sand dunes. About half the total coastline faces the Gulf of Rīga and is well sheltered from the open sea. Latvia lies within the great East European Plain. The country’s low-lying plains and rolling hills were sculpted during the most recent ice age, when glaciers moved over the land (see Pleistocene Epoch). Fertile lowlands occupy about three-fourths of the country. The land gently rises in elevation from west to east. The eastern uplands constitute the largest expanse of land in the Baltics with an elevation of more than 200 m (more than 660 ft). Latvia’s highest point, Gaizina Kalns, reaches a height of 312 m (1,024 ft) in the east central part of the country. Latvia is a land of numerous rivers, lakes, and wetlands. About 2,550 sq km (about 980 sq mi) of the country’s area—or roughly 4 percent—is inland water. The country has more than 12,000 rivers and streams, although only 17 are longer than 100 km (60 mi). The Daugava is Latvia’s largest river in terms of water volume, as well as one of the principal rivers of the Baltic drainage area. It originates in Russia (where it is known as the Western Dvina) and passes through Belarus before entering Latvia, where it follows a northwesterly course for 352 km (219 mi) and drains into the Gulf of Rīga. Several dams on the river generate hydroelectricity. Latvia’s longest river is the Gauja, which covers a distance of 452 km (281 mi) as it winds its way through a forested setting in northeastern Latvia. Gauja National Park protects a stretch of the river valley noted for its sandstone cliffs and caves. Also one of the country’s cleanest and least disturbed rivers, the Gauja supports spawning salmon. Other major rivers in Latvia are the Venta and the Lielupe. Thousands of small lakes dot the landscape, especially in southeastern Latvia. The country contains countless marshes, bogs, and other wetlands, some of which are protected for their international importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Natural resources are limited in Latvia. Peat (a compact, high-carbon material used for fuel and mulch) is the most plentiful mineral deposit; peat bogs cover about 10 percent of the total land area, mainly in the eastern portion of the country. There are also deposits of gypsum, a mineral used in construction materials. Amber, a fossil tree resin, is found along the coast.
AGRICULTURE: Nearly all of Latvia’s agricultural land was gathered into collective or state-managed farms during Soviet rule. Since independence a government privatization program has returned farmland to private ownership. Dairy farming and pig breeding are important agricultural activities. Leading crops include potatoes, barley, sugar beets, wheat, and cabbages. The Latvian fishing fleet sails from Rīga and Liepāja to search the Baltic Sea and Atlantic Ocean for mackerel and herring. About 47 percent of Latvia is forested, and timber cutting is a significant economic activity. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing employs 14 percent of the workforce.