Location: | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania |
| Geographic coordinates: | 14 00 N, 14 00 W |
| Map references: | Africa |
| Area: | total: 196,190 sq km
water: 4,190 sq km
land: 192,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than South Dakota |
| Land boundaries: | total: 2,640 km
border countries: The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km |
| Coastline: | 531 km |
| Maritime claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate: | tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind |
| Terrain: | generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed feature near Nepen Diakha 581 m |
| Natural resources: | fish, phosphates, iron ore |
| Land use: | arable land: 12.78%
other: 87.01% (2001)
permanent crops: 0.21% |
| Irrigated land: | 710 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts |
| Environment - current issues: | wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling |
| Geography - note: | westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal
Source: CIA World Factbook
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