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

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 1 10 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 56,785 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 54,385 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 2,400 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 127

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,880 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (3): Benin 651 km, Burkina Faso 131 km, Ghana 1098 km

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

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 30 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]

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

Terrain:
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Elevation:
mean elevation: 236 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

Land use:
agricultural land: 67.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 45.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 3.8% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 18.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 4.9% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 27.7% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use country ranks ]

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

Population distribution:
one of the more densely populated African nations with most of the population residing in rural communities, density is highest in the south on or near the Atlantic coast

Natural hazards:
hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; very little rain forest still present and what remains is highly degraded; desertification; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna