Geography of Benin

Geography of Benin

Continent	Africa
Region	West Africa Sub-Saharan Africa
Coordinates	9°30′N 2°15′E / 9.500°N 2.250°E / 9.500; 2.250
Area	Ranked 102nd
• Total	112,622 km2 (43,484 sq mi)
• Land	98.2%
• Water	1.8%
Coastline	121 km (75 mi)
Borders	Total land borders: 2,123 km (1,319 mi) Burkina Faso 386 km (240 mi), Niger 277 km (172 mi), Nigeria 809 km (503 mi), Togo 651 km (405 mi)
Highest point	Mont Sokbaro 658 m (2,159 ft)
Lowest point	Atlantic Ocean sea level
Terrain	flat to undulating plain; some hills and mountains
Natural resources	oil, limestone, marble, timber
Environmental issues	deforestation, desertification

Benin, a narrow, key-shaped, north–south strip of land in West Africa, lies between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer. Its latitude ranges from 6°30′ N to 12°30′ N and its longitude from 1° E to 3°40′ E. It 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 km² (43,484 sq mi), it is slightly bigger than the nation of Bulgaria. It extends from the Niger River in the north to the Atlantic Ocean in the south, a distance of 700 km (435 mi). Although the coastline measures 121 km (75 mi), the country measures about 325 km (202 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, averaging 200 m (656 ft) in elevation.