Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia
Geographic coordinates:
11 30 N, 43 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area: Area - comparative: Land boundaries: Coastline: Maritime claims: Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes: Natural resources: Land use: Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements: Geography - note:
total: 23,200 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 151
land:
23,180 sq km
water:
20 sq km
slightly smaller than Massachusetts
total: 516 km
border countries:
Eritrea 109 km, Ethiopia 349 km, Somalia 58 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
314 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
desert; torrid, dry
coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains
lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point:
Moussa Ali 2,028 m
potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
arable land: 0.09%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops:
0%
other:
99.91% (2011)
10.12 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
0.3 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total: 0.02 cu km/yr (84%/0%/16%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita:
24.84 cu m/yr (2000)
earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods
volcanism:
experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (elev. 298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active
inadequate supplies of potable water; limited arable land; desertification; endangered species
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world