Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a sovereign nation located in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, situated between Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south, and sharing extensive land borders with Russia to the east and Belarus to the southeast. The country's geography is characterized by a mix of plains, forests, and coastal areas, with the Baltic Sea forming its western boundary. With a population of approximately 1.9 million people, Latvia has historically been a crossroads of cultures, maintaining a strong connection to both Nordic and Eastern European influences.