Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo

Geographic coordinates:
9 30 N, 2 15 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
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 (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 103

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries:
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

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

Maritime claims:
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 ]

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains

Elevation:
mean elevation: 273 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m

Natural resources:
small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber

Land use:
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 country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
230 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
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

Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March

Environment - current issues:
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)

Environment - international agreements:
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

Geography - note:
sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands