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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
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Geographic coordinates:
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8 00 N, 1 10 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 56,785 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than West Virginia
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,647 km
border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km
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Coastline:
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56 km
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 30 NM
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
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Terrain:
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gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m
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Natural resources:
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phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land
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Land use:
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arable land: 41.37%
permanent crops: 1.84%
other: 56.79% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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70 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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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:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna
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