| Location | Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania |
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| Geographic coordinates | 18 15 S, 35 00 E |
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| Zone | Africa |
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| Area | total: 801,590 sq km
land: 784,090 sq km
water: 17,500 sq km |
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| Land boundaries | total: 4,571 km
border countries: Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km |
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| Coastline | 2,470 km |
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| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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| Climate | tropical to subtropical |
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| Terrain | mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west |
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| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m |
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| Natural resources | coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite |
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| Irrigated land | 2,470 km |
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| Natural hazards | severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern provinces |
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Environment -
current issues | a long civil war and recurrent drought in the hinterlands have resulted in increased migration of the population to urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences; desertification; pollution of surface and coastal waters; elephant poaching for ivory is a problem |
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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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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| Geography - note | the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country |
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