| Location : |
Central Africa, north of the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
7 00 N, 21 00 E |
| Map References : |
Africa |
| Area : |
total: 622,984 sq km
land: 622,984 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
slightly smaller than Texas |
| Land Boundaries : |
total: 5,203 km
border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km |
| Climate : |
tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers |
| Terrain : |
vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m |
| Natural Resources : |
diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 3.1%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 96.76% (2001) |
| Natural Hazards : |
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common |
| Environment - Current Issues : |
tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography - Note : |
Landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa. |
