Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea

Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 30 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 2,505,813 sq km
country comparison to the world: 10
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 2.376 million sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 129,813 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US

Land boundaries:
total: 7,687 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km

Coastline:
853 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
More Climate Details

Terrain:
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

Natural resources:
petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 6.78%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.17%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 93.05% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
18,630 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
154 cu km (1997)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 37.32 cu km/yr (3%/1%/97%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 1,030 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
dust storms and periodic persistent droughts

Environment - current issues:
inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries