| Location: |
Western Africa, southwest of Algeria
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
17 00 N, 4 00 W
|
| Area: |
total:
1.24 million sq km
land:
1.22 million sq km
water:
20,000 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
|
| Land boundaries: |
total:
7,243 km
border countries:
Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
|
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked)
|
| Maritime claims: |
none (landlocked)
|
| Climate: |
subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February
|
| Terrain: |
mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Senegal River 23 m
highest point:
Hombori Tondo 1,155 m
|
| Natural resources: |
gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, hydropower
note:
bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
|
| Land use: |
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
25%
forests and woodland:
6%
other:
67% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
780 sq km (1993 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts
|
| Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching
|
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban
|
| Geography - note: |
landlocked
|
|
