Latvia's landscape is of glacial origin and has many lakes and rivers. The highest elevation is under 300 m. The major river is the Daugava, or Western Dvina, which flows for 360 km in Latvia. The rivers empty into the Gulf of Riga or the Baltic Sea. Their estuaries provide ice-free commercial and fishing harbors.
Latvia has a moderate climate, with cool summers and mild winters.
Major cities, in addition to Riga, are the industrial centers of Daugavpils (1996 est. pop., 118,530), Liepaja (98,490), and Jelgava (70,957); the beach resort of Jurmala (59,002), and the oil and chemical port of Ventspils (46,721). Total population is 2,468,982 (World Factbook, July 1996 est.).
Stations from the IDMP Network measure both daylight and solar radiation.
Clock Time: GMT+2. Summer time shift (GMT+3), from last Sunday in March, to Saturday before last Sunday in October.
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