Geography of Benin 68972 222628017 2008-06-30T09:53:33Z Darwinek 107928 updating link using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] [[Image:BeninOMC.png|200px|Map Of Benin|thumb|right|Benin's cities and main towns]] {{MapLibrary|Benin_sat.png|Benin}} [[Image:Benin Topography.png|thumb|Topography of Benin]] [[Benin]], a narrow, north-south strip of land in West [[Africa]], lies between the [[Equator]] and the [[Tropic of Cancer]]. Benin's latitude ranges from 6°30&prime; N to 12°30&prime; N and its longitude from 1° E to 3°40&prime; E. Benin is bounded by [[Togo]] to the west, [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Niger]] to the north, [[Nigeria]] to the east, and the [[Bight of Benin]] to the south. With an area of 112,622 square kilometers, roughly the size of [[Pennsylvania]] and slightly bigger than [[Bulgaria]], Benin extends from the [[Niger River]] in the north to the Atlantic Ocean in the south, a distance of 700&nbsp;km (430 mi). Although the coastline measures 121&nbsp;km (75 mi), the country measures about 325&nbsp;km (about 200 mi) at its widest point. It is one of the smaller countries in West Africa, about one eighth the size of Nigeria, its neighbor to the east. It is, however, twice as large as Togo, its neighbor to the west. A relief map of Benin shows that it has little variation in elevation (average elevation 200 meters). The country can be divided into four main areas from the south to the north. The low-lying, sandy, coastal plain (highest elevation 10 meters) is, at most, 10 km wide. It is marshy and dotted with lakes and lagoons communicating with the ocean. The plateaus of southern Benin (altitude comprised between 20 meters and 200 meters) are split by valleys running north to south along the Couffo, Zou, and Oueme Rivers. An area of flat lands dotted with rocky hills whose altitude seldom reaches 400 meters extends around Nikki and Save. Finally, a range of mountains extends along the northwest border and into Togo; this is the Atacora, with the highest point, Mont Sokbaro, at 658 meters. Two types of landscape predominate in the south. Benin has fields of lying fallow, mangroves, and remnants of large sacred forests. In the rest of the country, the savanna is covered with thorny scrubs and dotted with huge [[baobab]] trees. Some forests line the banks of rivers. In the north and the northwest of Benin the Reserve du W du Niger and Pendjari National Park attract tourists eager to see elephants, lions, antelopes, hippos and monkeys. Benin's climate is hot and humid. Annual rainfall in the coastal area averages 360&nbsp;mm (14 in), not particularly high for coastal West Africa. Benin has two rainy and two dry seasons. The principal rainy season is from April to late July, with a shorter less intense rainy period from late September to November. The main dry season is from December to April, with a short cooler dry season from late July to early September. Temperatures and humidity are high along the tropical coast. In Cotonou, the average maximum temperature is 31°C (88 °F); the minimum is 24°C (75 °F). Variations in temperature increase when moving north through a savanna and plateau toward the Sahel. A dry wind from the [[Sahara]] called the [[harmattan]] blows from December to March. Grass dries up, the vegetation turns reddish brown, and a veil of fine dust hangs over the country, causing the skies to be overcast. It is also the season when farmers burn brush in the fields. '''Location:''' Western [[Africa]], bordering the North [[Atlantic Ocean]], between [[Nigeria]] and [[Togo]] '''[[Geographic coordinates]]:''' {{coor dm|9|30|N|2|15|E|type:country}} '''Map references:''' Africa '''Area:''' <br>''total:'' 112 620 km² <br>''land:'' 110 620 km² <br>''water:'' 2 000 km² '''Area comparative''' *[[Australia]] comparative: about half the size of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] *[[Canada]] comparative: 1.5 times larger than [[New Brunswick]] *[[United Kingdom]] comparative: smaller than [[England]] *[[United States]] comparative: slightly smaller than [[Pennsylvania]] '''Land boundaries:''' <br>''total:'' 1 989 km <br>''border countries:'' [[Burkina Faso]] 306 km, [[Niger]] 266 km, [[Nigeria]] 773&nbsp;km, [[Togo]] 644&nbsp;km '''Coastline:''' 121&nbsp;km '''Maritime claims:''' <br>''[[territorial sea]]:'' 200 [[nautical mile]]s (370.4 km) '''Climate:''' tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north '''Terrain:''' mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains '''Elevation extremes:''' <br>''lowest point:'' Atlantic Ocean 0 m <br>''highest point:'' [[Mont Sokbaro]] 658 m '''Natural resources:''' small offshore [[Petroleum|oil]] deposits, [[limestone]], [[marble]], [[timber]] '''Land use:''' <br>''arable land:'' 15% <br>''permanent crops:'' 1% <br>''other:'' 84% (1998 est.) '''Irrigated land:''' 120 km² (1998 est.) '''Natural hazards:''' hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in December to March '''Environment - current issues:''' recent droughts have severely affected marginal agriculture in north; inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification '''Environment - international agreements:''' <br>''party to:'' [[Biodiversity]], [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|Climate Change]], [[Desertification]], [[Endangered Species]], [[Environmental Modification]], [[Hazardous Wastes]], [[Law of the Sea]], [[Nuclear Test Ban]], [[Ozone Layer Protection]], [[Ship Pollution]], [[Wetlands]] <br>''signed, but not ratified:'' none of the selected agreements '''Geography - note:''' sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands. ==References== *{{factbook}} *{{StateDept}} ==See also== * Soil Maps of Benin [http://eusoils.jrc.it/esdb_archive/EuDASM/africa/lists/cbj.htm European Digital Archive on the Soil Maps of the world] {{Geography of Africa}} [[Category:Geography of Benin| ]] [[fr:Géographie du Bénin]] [[it:Geografia del Benin]] [[pt:Geografia do Benim]] [[vec:Giografia del Benin]]