Latvia is the middle one of the three Baltic States, nested between Estonia and Lithuania. The topography is characterized by vast flat plains, with only a small portion of the territory having some considerable elevation. One of these is the Vidzeme Upland approximately at the center of the country, which is the highest elevation of the country, with Gaiziņkalns at the top of the uplands at 310 meters. In spite of its relative low elevation, it is a popular ski resort in Latvia. In the northeastern corner of the country rise the Alūksne Upland, another notable hilly region of Latvia. These two elevated regions also form the watershed divide of the two main watersheds of the country, that of the Daugava and Gauja rivers. There are two other notable upland areas, both with lower elevation, the Kurzeme Upland in the western segment, and the Latgale regions, with many lakes and rivers.
The most important river of Latvia is the Daugava river, which enters the country from Belarus, flows through the Zemgale plains and empties into the Gulf of Riga next to the capital city, Riga. The Gauja river drains the northern territories of the country, its mouth is not far from the mouth of the Daugava river, both in the Gulf of Riga. The Gauja river is the longest in Latvia, but its watershed is much smaller than the Daugava's. The Lielupe is the second largest of the rivers, in terms of drainage area, the third one is the Venta, which flows directly into the Baltic Sea at Ventspils.
The largest lake in Latvia is Lake Lubāns, in the plains of the Eastern Latvian Lowland, Lake Drīdzis is the deepest one, which is located in the southeastern edge of the country. The second largest is Lake Raznas, the third is Lake Engure, fourth is Lake Burtnieks in the northern regions.
