Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania
Geographic coordinates:
14 00 N, 14 00 W
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:
196,722 sq km
country comparison to the world: 88
land:
192,530 sq km
water:
4,192 sq km
slightly smaller than South Dakota
total:
2,640 km
border countries:
The Gambia 740 km, Guinea 330 km, Guinea-Bissau 338 km, Mali 419 km, Mauritania 813 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
531 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea:
12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
More Climate Details
generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
unnamed elevation southwest of Kedougou 581 m
fish, phosphates, iron ore
arable land:
19.57%
permanent crops:
0.28%
other:
80.15% (2011)
1,197 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
38.8 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
2.22 cu km/yr (4%/3%/93%)
per capita:
221.6 cu m/yr (2002)
lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts
wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal