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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
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Geographic coordinates:
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14 00 N, 14 00 W
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 196,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than South Dakota
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,640 km
border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
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Coastline:
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531 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
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Terrain:
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generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m
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Natural resources:
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fish, phosphates, iron ore
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Land use:
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arable land: 11.58%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 88.23% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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710 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
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Geography - note:
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westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave of Senegal
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