Location: | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone |
| Geographic coordinates: | 11 00 N, 10 00 W |
| Map references: | Africa |
| Area: | total: 245,857 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 245,857 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Oregon |
| Land boundaries: | total: 3,399 km
border countries: Cote d'Ivoire 610 km, Guinea-Bissau 386 km, Liberia 563 km, Mali 858 km, Senegal 330 km, Sierra Leone 652 km |
| Coastline: | 320 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds |
| Terrain: | generally flat coastal plain, hilly to mountainous interior |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m |
| Natural resources: | bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish |
| Land use: | arable land: 3.63%
permanent crops: 2.58%
other: 93.79% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 950 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce visibility during dry season |
| Environment - current issues: | deforestation; inadequate supplies of potable water; desertification; soil contamination and erosion; overfishing, overpopulation in forest region; poor mining practices have led to environmental damage |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | the Niger and its important tributary the Milo have their sources in the Guinean highlands
Source: CIA World Factbook
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