| 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
land: 110,620 sq km
water: 2,000 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. |
