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Location: |
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
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Geographic coordinates: |
8 00 N, 2 00 W
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Map references: |
Africa
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Area: |
total: 239,460 sq km
land: 230,940 sq km
water: 8,520 sq km
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Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Oregon
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Land boundaries: |
total: 2,094 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
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Coastline: |
539 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
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Climate: |
tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
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Terrain: |
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m
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Natural resources: |
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
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Land use: |
arable land: 16.26%
permanent crops: 9.67%
other: 74.07% (2001)
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Irrigated land: |
110 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards: |
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
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Environment - current issues: |
recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
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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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
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Geography - note: |
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake
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