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Location:
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Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 00 N, 30 00 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 2,505,810 sq km
water: 129,810 sq km
land: 2.376 million sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
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Land boundaries:
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total: 7,687 km
border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km
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Coastline:
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853 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 18 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM
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Climate:
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tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
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Terrain:
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generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Red Sea 0 m
highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 7.03%
permanent crops: 0.08%
other: 92.89% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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19,500 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries
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