Irrigated land: 20 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: overgrazing, primarily as a result of the expansion
of the cattle population; desertification; limited natural fresh
water resources
natural hazards: periodic droughts; seasonal August winds blow from
the west, carrying sand and dust across the country, which can
obscure visibility
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
Geographic note: landlocked; population concentrated in eastern
part of the country
People ———
Population: 1,477,630 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 317,254; female 309,617)
15-64 years: 54% (male 374,572; female 419,991)
65 years and over: 4% (male 22,314; female 33,882) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.63% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 33.34 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 17.01 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)