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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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| Area: |
total:
238,540 sq km
land:
230,020 sq km
water:
8,520 sq km
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| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Oregon
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| Land boundaries: |
total:
2,093 km
border countries:
Burkina Faso 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km
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| Maritime claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM
continental shelf:
200 NM
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 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
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| Land use: |
arable land:
12%
permanent crops:
7%
permanent pastures:
22%
forests and woodland:
35%
other:
24% (1993 est.)
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| Irrigated land: |
60 sq km (1993 est.)
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| Natural hazards: |
dry, dusty, harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts
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| Environment - current issues: |
recent drought in north severely affecting 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, 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; northeasterly harmattan wind (January to March)
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