| Location | Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras |
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| Geographic coordinates | 13 00 N, 85 00 W |
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| Zone | Central America |
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| Area | total: 129,494 sq km
land: 120,254 sq km
water: 9,240 sq km |
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| Land boundaries | total: 1,231 km
border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km |
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| Coastline | 910 km |
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| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: natural prolongation |
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| Climate | tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands |
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| Terrain | extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes |
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| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m |
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| Natural resources | gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish |
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| Irrigated land | 910 km |
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| Natural hazards | destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes |
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Environment -
current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution |
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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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification |
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| Geography - note | largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua |
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