Location: | Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa |
| Geographic coordinates: | 22 00 S, 17 00 E |
| Map references: | Africa |
| Area: | total: 825,418 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 825,418 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly more than half the size of Alaska |
| Land boundaries: | total: 3,936 km
border countries: Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km |
| Coastline: | 1,572 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate: | desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic |
| Terrain: | mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Konigstein 2,606 m |
| Natural resources: | diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore |
| Land use: | arable land: 0.99%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.01% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 70 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | prolonged periods of drought |
| Environment - current issues: | very limited natural fresh water resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip
Source: CIA World Factbook
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