Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania

Geographic coordinates:
14 00 N, 14 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 196,722 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 192,530 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 4,192 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 89

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Dakota

Land boundaries:
total: 2,684 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (5): The Gambia 749 km, Guinea 363 km, Guinea-Bissau 341 km, Mali 489 km, Mauritania 742 km

Coastline:
531 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 ]
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; rainy season (May to November) has strong southeast winds; dry season (December to April) dominated by hot, dry, harmattan wind
More Climate Details

Terrain:
generally low, rolling, plains rising to foothills in southeast

Elevation:
mean elevation: 69 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed elevation 2.8 km southeast of Nepen Diaka 648 m

Natural resources:
fish, phosphates, iron ore

Land use:
agricultural land: 46.8% arable land 17.4%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 29.1%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 43.8%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 9.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
1,200 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
the population is concentrated in the west, with Dakar anchoring a well-defined core area; approximately 70% of the population is rural

Natural hazards:
lowlands seasonally flooded; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues:
wildlife populations threatened by poaching; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; overfishing

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

Geography - note:
westernmost country on the African continent; The Gambia is almost an enclave within Senegal