Benin Geography:
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Geographic coordinates:
9 30 N, 2 15 E
Map references:
Area:
total:
112,620 sq km
land:
110,620 sq km
water:
2,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:
total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Coastline:
121 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 200 NM
Climate:
Tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Terrain:
Mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m
Natural resources:
Small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Land use:
arable land: 18.08%
permanent crops: 2.4%
other: 79.52%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
120 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Environment - current issues:
Inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
Sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands |
