Location: | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo |
| Geographic coordinates: | 9 30 N, 2 15 E |
| Map references: | Africa |
| Area: | total: 112,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
| Land boundaries: | total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km |
| Coastline: | 121 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
| Terrain: | mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
| Natural resources: | small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
| Land use: | arable land: 18.08%
permanent crops: 2.4%
other: 79.52% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 120 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March |
| Environment - current issues: | inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Source: CIA World Factbook
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