BeninGeography
|
Location:
|
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo | |
Geographic coordinates:
| 9 30 N, 2 15 E | |
Map references:
| Africa | |
Area:
| total: 112,620 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km | |
Area - comparative:
| slightly smaller than Pennsylvania | |
Land boundaries:
| total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km | |
Coastline:
| 121 km | |
Maritime claims:
| territorial sea: 200 nm | |
Climate:
| tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north | |
Terrain:
| mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains | |
Elevation extremes:
| lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m | |
Natural resources:
| small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber | |
Land use:
| arable land: 18.08%
permanent crops: 2.4%
other: 79.52% (2001) | |
Irrigated land:
| 120 sq km (1998 est.) | |
Natural hazards:
| hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March | |
Environment - current issues:
| inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification | |
Environment - international agreements:
| party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | |
Geography - note:
| sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands |
More about Benin:
Introduction
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues
|
