Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and
Ghana
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 1 10 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 56,785 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km
Coastline:
56 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 30 NM
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Terrain:
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau;
low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m
Natural resources:
phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 41.37%
permanent crops: 1.84%
other: 56.79% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
70 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during
winter; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the
use of wood for fuel; water pollution presents health hazards and
hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct
geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna