Location: | Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras |
| Geographic coordinates: | 13 00 N, 85 00 W |
| Map references: | Central America and the Caribbean |
| Area: | total: 129,494 sq km
water: 9,240 sq km
land: 120,254 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than the state of New York |
| Land boundaries: | total: 1,231 km
border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km |
| Coastline: | 910 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: natural prolongation |
| Climate: | tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands |
| Terrain: | extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m |
| Natural resources: | gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish |
| Land use: | arable land: 15.94%
permanent crops: 1.94%
other: 82.12% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 880 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes |
| Environment - current issues: | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
| Geography - note: | largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
Source: CIA World Factbook
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