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Geography
| Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Equatorial
Guinea and Nigeria
Geographic
coordinates: 6 00 N, 12 00 E
Map
references: Africa
Area:
total
area: 475,440 sq km
land
area: 469,440 sq km
comparative
area: slightly larger than California
Land
boundaries:
total:
4,591 km
border
countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Congo 523
km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km
Coastline:
402 km
Maritime
claims:
territorial
sea: 50 nm |
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Population: 15,803,220
Age structure: (2001 est.)
0-14 years: 42.37% (male 3,385,898; female 3,310,504)
15-64 years: 54.28% (male 4,305,354; female 4,271,958)
65 years and over: 3.35% (male 244,419; female 285,087)
International
disputes: demarcation of international boundaries in vicinity of Lake
Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed
and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; dispute
with Nigeria over land and maritime boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi
Peninsula has been referred to the International Court of Justice
Climate:
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Terrain:
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center,
mountains in west, plains in north
lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest
point: Fako 4,095 m
Natural
resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower potential
Land
use:
arable
land: 13%
permanent
crops: 2%
meadows
and pastures: 18%
forest
and woodland: 54%
other:
13%
Irrigated
land: 280 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current
issues: water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing;
desertification; poaching; overfishing natural hazards: recent volcanic
activity with release of poisonous gases international agreements: party
to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea,
Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified -
Desertification, Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber 94
Geographic
note: sometimes referred to as Africa in miniature.
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