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Location:
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Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia
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Geographic coordinates:
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56 00 N, 24 00 E
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total: 65,200 sq km
water: NA sq km
land: NA sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than West Virginia
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,273 km
border countries: Belarus 502 km, Latvia 453 km, Poland 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 km
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Coastline:
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99 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 NM
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Climate:
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transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
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Terrain:
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lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Juozapines/Kalnas 292 m
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Natural resources:
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peat, arable land
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Land use:
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arable land: 45.46%
permanent crops: 0.93%
other: 53.61% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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90 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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NA
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Environment - current issues:
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contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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Geography - note:
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fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits
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