Location: Western Africa, southwest of Algeria
Geographic coordinates: 17 00 N, 4 00 W
Map references: Africa
Area:
total:
1.24 million km²
land:
1.22 million km²
water:
20,000 km²
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total:
7,243 km
border countries:
Algeria 1,376 km, Burkina Faso 1,000 km, Guinea 858 km, Côte d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km, Senegal 419 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy, humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February
Terrain: mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand; savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Senegal River 23 m
highest point:
Hombori Tondo 1,155 m
Natural resources:
gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, hydropower
note:
bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
Land use:
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
25%
forests and woodland:
6%
other:
67% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 780 km² (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry seasons; recurring droughts
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note: landlocked