| Location: |
Southern Africa, north of South Africa
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
22 00 S, 24 00 E
|
| Area: |
total:
600,370 sq km
land:
585,370 sq km
water:
15,000 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Texas
|
| Land boundaries: |
total:
4,013 km
border countries:
Namibia 1,360 km, South Africa 1,840 km, Zimbabwe 813 km
|
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked)
|
| Maritime claims: |
none (landlocked)
|
| Climate: |
semiarid; warm winters and hot summers
|
| Terrain: |
predominantly flat to gently rolling tableland; Kalahari Desert in southwest
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
junction of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers 513 m
highest point:
Tsodilo Hills 1,489 m
|
| Natural resources: |
diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver
|
| Land use: |
arable land:
1%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
46%
forests and woodland:
47%
other:
6% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
20 sq km (1993 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can obscure visibility
|
| Environment - current issues: |
overgrazing; desertification; limited fresh water resources
|
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
|
| Geography - note: |
landlocked; population concentrated in eastern part of the country
|
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