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

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

Land boundaries:
total: 4,783 km
border countries (6): Malawi 1,498 km, South Africa 496 km, Swaziland 108 km, Tanzania 840 km, Zambia 439 km, Zimbabwe 1,402 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:
mean elevation:
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Monte Binga 2,436 m

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

Land use:
agricultural land: 56.3% arable land 6.4%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 49.6%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 43.7%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 0% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
1,180 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
217.1 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.88 cu km/yr (26%/4%/70%)
per capita: 46.05 cu m/yr (2005)

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

Environment - current issues:
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 River flows through the north-central and most fertile part of the country