Page last updated on February 5, 2013

Location:
Southeastern Africa, bordering the Mozambique Channel, between South Africa and Tanzania

Geographic coordinates:
18 15 S, 35 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 799,380 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 35
land: 786,380 sq km
water: 13,000 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:
total: 4,571 km
border countries: Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km, Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
2,470 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical to subtropical

Terrain:
mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m

Natural resources:
coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite

Land use:
arable land: 5.43%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.29%
other: 94.28% (2005)

Irrigated land:
1,180 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
216 cu km (1992)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.63 cu km/yr (11%/2%/87%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 32 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:
severe droughts; devastating cyclones and floods in central and southern provinces

Environment - current issues:
a long civil war and recurrent drought in the hinterlands have resulted in increased migration of the population to urban and coastal areas with adverse environmental consequences; desertification; pollution of surface and coastal waters; elephant poaching for ivory is a problem

Environment - international agreements:
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

Geography - note:
the Zambezi flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country