Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Benin and Cameroon

Geographic coordinates:
10 00 N, 8 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 923,768 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 910,768 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 13,000 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 32

Area - comparative:
about six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California
Area comparison map: about six times the size of Georgia; slightly more than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:
total: 4,477 km
border countries (4): Benin 809 km, Cameroon 1,975 km, Chad 85 km, Niger 1,608 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

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

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
varies; equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north

Terrain:
southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north

Elevation:
mean elevation: 380 m
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Chappal Waddi 2,419 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land

Land use:
agricultural land: 78% arable land 37.3%; permanent crops 7.4%; permanent pasture 33.3%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 9.5%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 12.5% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
2,930 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; flooding

Environment - current issues:
soil degradation; rapid deforestation; urban air and water pollution; desertification; oil pollution - water, air, and soil; has suffered serious damage from oil spills; loss of arable land; rapid urbanization

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

Geography - note:
the Niger River enters the country in the northwest and flows southward through tropical rain forests and swamps to its delta in the Gulf of Guinea