Location:
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa
Geographic coordinates:
22 00 S, 17 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
Coastline: Maritime claims:
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
total:
824,292 sq km
country comparison to the world: 34
land:
823,290 sq km
water:
1,002 sq km
slightly more than half the size of Alaska
total:
3,936 km
border countries:
Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 967 km, Zambia 233 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
1,572 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Konigstein 2,606 m
diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish
note:
suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore
arable land:
0.97%
permanent crops:
0.01%
other:
99.02% (2011)
75.73 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
17.72 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
0.29 cu km/yr (25%/5%/70%)
per capita:
146 cu m/yr (2002)
prolonged periods of drought
limited natural freshwater resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas
party to:
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip