| Location | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana |
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| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 1 10 E |
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| Zone | Africa |
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| Area | total: 56,785 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km |
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| Land boundaries | total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km |
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| Coastline | 56 km |
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| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 30 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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| Climate | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
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| Terrain | gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes |
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| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m |
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| Natural resources | phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land |
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| Irrigated land | 56 km |
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| Natural hazards | hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts |
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Environment -
current issues | deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas |
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Environment -
international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, 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 |
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| Geography - note | the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna |
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