Geography of Central African Republic
Location: | Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Geographic coordinates: | 7 00 N, 21 00 E |
Map references: | Africa |
Area: | total: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than Texas |
Land boundaries: | total: 5,203 km border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km |
Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
Climate: | tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers |
Terrain: | vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest |
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m |
Natural resources: | diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower |
Land use: | arable land: 3.1% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 96.75% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 20 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common |
Environment - current issues: | tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation |
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Geography - note: | landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa |