Location:
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and South Africa

Geographic coordinates:
22 00 S, 17 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 824,292 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 823,290 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 1,002 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 35

Area - comparative:
slightly more than half the size of Alaska

Land boundaries:
total: 4,220 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (4): Angola 1,427 km, Botswana 1,544 km, South Africa 1,005 km, Zambia 244 km

Coastline:
1,572 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]

Climate:
desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic

Terrain:
mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east

Elevation:
mean elevation: 1,141 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Konigstein on Brandberg 2,573 m

Natural resources:
diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, zinc, salt, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of oil, coal, and iron ore

Land use:
agricultural land: 47.2% arable land 1%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 46.2%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 8.8%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 44% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
80 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
population density is very low, with the largest clustering found in the extreme north-central area along the border with Angola

Natural hazards:
prolonged periods of drought

Environment - current issues:
limited natural freshwater resources; desertification; wildlife poaching; land degradation has led to few conservation areas

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip