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Latvia, officially the Republic of
Latvia, is a country in Northern Europe. Latvia shares land borders
with Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south — and both Russia and
Belarus to the east. It is separated from Sweden in the west by the
Baltic Sea. The capital of Latvia is Riga. Latvia has been a member
state of the European Union since May 1, 2004 and a member of NATO since
March 29, 2004. Located on the
eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, Latvia lies on the East European Plain.
It consists of fertile, low-lying plains, largely covered by forest,
mostly pines, the highest point being the Gaiziņkalns at 311.6 m (1,020
ft). Phytogeographically, Latvia is shared between the Central European
and Eastern European provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the
Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of Latvia belongs to
the ecoregion of Sarmatic mixed forests. Common species of wildlife in
Latvia include deer, wild boar, fox, beaver and wolves. The major rivers
include the Daugava, the Lielupe, the Gauja, the Venta, and the Salaca.
An inlet of the Baltic Sea, the shallow Gulf of Riga is situated in the
northwest of the country. Latvia's coastline extends for 531 kilometers.
Its neighbors include Estonia to the north (267 kilometers of common
border), Lithuania to the south (453 kilometers), Belarus to the
southeast (141 kilometers), and Russia to the east (217 kilometers).
Prior to World War II, Latvia bordered eastern Poland, but as a result
of boundary changes by the Soviet Union, this part of Poland was
attached to Belarus. Latvia ceded a part of the former Abrene District
(2% of its territory) to Russia in the 2007. |
