Location: | South-eastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania |
| Geographic coordinates: | 18 15 S, 35 00 E |
| Map references: | Africa |
| Area: | total: 801,590 sq km
water: 17,500 sq km
land: 784,090 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly less than twice the size of California |
| Land boundaries: | total: 4,571 km
border countries: Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km |
| Coastline: | 2,470 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | tropical to subtropical |
| Terrain: | mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m |
| Natural resources: | coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite |
| Land use: | arable land: 5.1%
permanent crops: 0.3%
other: 94.6% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 1,070 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods occur in central and southern provinces |
| Environment - current issues: | a long civil war and recurrent drought in the hinterlands have resulted in increased migration of the population to urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences; desertification; pollution of surface and coastal waters; elephant poaching for ivory is a problem |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country
Source: CIA World Factbook
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