Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;

Territorial sea: 12 nm

_#_Climate: tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons—warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)

_#_Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

_#_Natural resources: crude oil, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper

_#_Land use: arable land 9%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland 26%; other 52%; includes irrigated NEGL%

_#_Environment: coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; severe deforestation

_*People #_Population: 12,977,909 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 48 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1991)