Geography

Area

Climate

tropical climate; relatively warm and drier along the southeastern coast; hot and humid in the southwestern region; hot and arid in the northern part

Terrain

predominantly flat plains, with a fragmented plateau located in the south-central region

Land use

Location

Located in Western Africa, adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea, situated between Côte d'Ivoire and Togo

Coastline

539 km

Elevation

Irrigated land

360 sq km (2013)

Map references

Africa

Land boundaries

Maritime claims

Natural hazards

dry and dusty harmattan winds from the northeast occur between January and March; occurrences of drought

Geography - note

Lake Volta ranks as the largest artificial lake globally (constructed reservoir) by surface area, covering 8,482 square kilometers (3,275 square miles); this lake was formed following the completion of the Akosombo Dam in 1965

Natural resources

gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone

Area - comparative

slightly less extensive than Oregon

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 2 00 W

Population distribution

the population is mainly situated in the southern portion of the nation, with the densest populations along or near the Atlantic coastline, as illustrated in this population distribution map

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Major rivers (by length in km)

Mouth of the Volta River (shared with Burkina Faso [s]) - 1,600 km

note: [s] after the country name indicates the river source; [m] after the country name indicates the river mouth