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: Population distribution: 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:
103
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
total: 2,123 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (4):
Burkina Faso 386 km, Niger 277 km, Nigeria 809 km, Togo 651 km
121 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 200
nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
continental shelf: 200
nm
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]
exclusive fishing zone: 200
nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive fishing zone country ranks ]
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
More Climate Details
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
mean elevation: 273 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: 0 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean
658 highest point: Mont Sokbaro
small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
agricultural land: 31.3%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 22.9%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 3.5%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 4.9%
(2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 40%
(2011 est.)
[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 ]
the population is primarily located in the south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the north remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations of residents in the west
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification (the spread of the desert into agricultural lands in the north is accelerated by regular droughts)
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