GEOGRAPHY
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Map
references: Africa
Area:
total area: 2,505,810
sq km
land area: 2.376 million
sq km
comparative
area: slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
Land
boundaries: total 7,687 km, Central African Republic 1,165
km, Chad 1,360 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606
km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km, Zaire 628 km
Coastline:
853 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 18
nm
continental shelf: 200-m
depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial
sea: 12 nm
International
disputes: administrative boundary with Kenya does not coincide
with international boundary; administrative boundary with Egypt
does not coincide with international boundary creating the "Hala'ib
Triangle," a barren area of 20,580 sq km, tensions over this disputed
area began to escalate in 1992 and remain high
Climate:
tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season (April to
October)
Terrain:
generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in east and west
Natural
resources: small reserves of petroleum, iron ore, copper,
chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold
Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures:
24%
forest and woodland:
20%
other:
51%
Irrigated
land: 18,900 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: inadequate
supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened
by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards: dust
storms
international
agreements: party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection; signed,
but not ratified - Biodiversity, Desertification
Note:
largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries
