| Location | Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo |
|
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 2 00 W |
|
| Zone | Africa |
|
| Area | total: 239,460 sq km
land: 230,940 sq km
water: 8,520 sq km |
|
| Land boundaries | total: 2,094 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km |
|
| Coastline | 539 km |
|
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm |
|
| Climate | tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north |
|
| Terrain | mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area |
|
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m |
|
| Natural resources | gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone |
|
| Irrigated land | 539 km |
|
| Natural hazards | dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
| Geography - note | Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake |
|
