| Location: |
Southern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
18 15 S, 35 00 E
|
| Area: |
total:
801,590 sq km
land:
784,090 sq km
water:
17,500 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly less than twice the size of California
|
| Land boundaries: |
total:
4,571 km
border countries:
Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km
|
| Maritime claims: |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
|
| Climate: |
tropical to subtropical
|
| Terrain: |
mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Monte Binga 2,436 m
|
| Natural resources: |
coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite
|
| Land use: |
arable land:
4%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
56%
forests and woodland:
18%
other:
22% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
1,200 sq km (2000 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
severe droughts and floods occur in central and southern provinces; devastating cyclones
|
| Environment - current issues: |
a long civil war and recurrent drought in the hinterlands have resulted in increased migration of the population to urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences; desertification; pollution of surface and coastal waters
|
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
|
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