| Geography | Benin |
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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo |
Geographic coordinates:
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9 30 N, 2 15 E |
Map references:
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Africa |
Area:
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total: 112,620 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Pennsylvania |
Land boundaries:
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total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km |
Coastline:
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121 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200 nm |
Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
Terrain:
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mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
Natural resources:
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small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
Land use:
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arable land: 23.53%
permanent crops: 2.37%
other: 74.1% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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120 sq km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources:
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25.8 cu km (2001) |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 0.13 cu km/yr (32%/23%/45%)
Per capita: 15 cu m/yr (2001) |
Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March |
Environment - current issues:
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inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification |
Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note:
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sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands |
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