| Location: |
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
22 00 S, 17 00 E
|
| Area: |
total:
825,418 sq km
land:
825,418 sq km
water:
0 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly more than half the size of Alaska
|
| Land boundaries: |
total:
3,824 km
border countries:
Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 855 km, Zambia 233 km
|
| Maritime claims: |
contiguous zone:
24 NM
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
|
| Climate: |
desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
|
| Terrain: |
mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Konigstein 2,606 m
|
| Natural resources: |
diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish
note:
suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
|
| Land use: |
arable land:
1%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
46%
forests and woodland:
22%
other:
31% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
60 sq km (1993 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
prolonged periods of drought
|
| Environment - current issues: |
very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification
|
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
|
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