Guinea-Bissau Geography:
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal
Geographic coordinates:
12 00 N, 15 00 W
Map references:
Area:
total:
36,120 sq km
land:
28,000 sq km
water:
8,120 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
total: 724 km
border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
Coastline:
350 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
Tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Terrain:
Mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 300 m in the northeast corner of the country
Natural resources:
Fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Land use:
arable land: 10.67%
permanent crops: 8.82%
other: 80.51%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
170 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
Environment - current issues:
Deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
This small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland |
