Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 38%
forests and woodland: 38%
other: 12% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 17 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan haze may reduce
visibility during dry season; brush fires
Environment—current issues: deforestation; soil erosion;
overgrazing; overfishing
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
Population: 1,234,555 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42% (male 260,821; female 259,520)
15-64 years: 55% (male 322,607; female 356,513)
65 years and over: 3% (male 16,233; female 18,861) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.31% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 38.23 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)