Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and
Mozambique
Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 35 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 945,087 sq km
note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
water: 59,050 sq km
land: 886,037 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
total: 3,861 km
border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217
km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
Coastline:
1,424 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
Terrain:
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m
Natural resources:
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones,
gold, natural gas, nickel
Land use:
arable land: 4.24%
permanent crops: 1.02%
other: 94.74% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
1,550 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought
Environment - current issues:
soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of
coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected
marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by illegal hunting and
trade, especially for ivory
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note:
Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of the
largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's
second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the
world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest