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Location:
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Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique
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Geographic coordinates:
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6 00 S, 35 00 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 945,087 sq km
note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
water: 59,050 sq km
land: 886,037 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than twice the size of California
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Land boundaries:
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total: 3,861 km
border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217 km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km
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Coastline:
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1,424 km
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
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Climate:
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varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands
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Terrain:
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plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m
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Natural resources:
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hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel
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Land use:
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arable land: 4.24%
permanent crops: 1.02%
other: 94.74% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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1,550 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought
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Environment - current issues:
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soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by illegal hunting and trade, especially for ivory
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
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Geography - note:
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Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of the largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest
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