Location: Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
Geographic coordinates: 16 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total:
1.267 million kmē
land:
1,266,700 kmē
water:
300 kmē
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total:
5,697 km
border countries:
Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km, Burkina Faso 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Terrain: predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Niger River 200 m
highest point:
Mont Greboun 1,944 m
Natural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, petroleum
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
7%
forests and woodland:
2%
other:
88% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 660 kmē (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring droughts
Environment - current issues: overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geography - note: landlocked