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World > Africa >
Ghana > Geography (Facts)
Ghana - Geography (Facts) |
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Location: |
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo |
Geographic coordinates: |
8 00 N, 2 00 W |
Map references: |
Africa |
Area: |
total: 239,460 sq km land: 230,940 sq km water: 8,520 sq km |
Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than Oregon |
Land boundaries: |
total: 2,094 km border countries: Burkina Faso 549 km, Cote d'Ivoire 668 km, Togo 877 km |
Coastline: |
539 km |
Maritime claims: |
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
Climate: |
tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north |
Terrain: |
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area |
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Afadjato 880 m |
Natural resources: |
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone |
Land use: |
arable land: 17.54% permanent crops: 9.22% other: 73.24% (2005) |
Irrigated land: |
310 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: |
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds occur from January to March; droughts |
Environment - current issues: |
recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water |
Environment - international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation |
Geography - note: |
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake |
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