Location: | Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Geographic coordinates: | 7 00 N, 21 00 E |
| Map references: | Africa |
| Area: | total: 622,984 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 622,984 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Texas |
| Land boundaries: | total: 5,203 km
border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km |
| Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
| Climate: | tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers |
| Terrain: | vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m |
| Natural resources: | diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower |
| Land use: | arable land: 3.1%
permanent crops: 0.14%
other: 96.76% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | NA sq km |
| Natural hazards: | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common |
| Environment - current issues: | tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography - note: | landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
Source: CIA World Factbook
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