Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Geographic coordinates:
9 30 N, 2 15 E
Map references:
Africa
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 112,622 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 110,622 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 2,000 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 102
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
total: 2,123 km
border countries (4): Burkina Faso 386 km, Niger 277 km, Nigeria 809 km, Togo 651 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
121 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 200 nm
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
mean elevation: 273 m
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Mont Sokbaro 658 m
small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
agricultural land: 31.3%
arable land 22.9%; permanent crops 3.5%; permanent pasture 4.9%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 40%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 28.7% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]
230 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands