Irrigated land: NA sq km
Natural hazards: hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common
Environment—current issues: tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished its reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography—note: landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
People
Population: 3,444,951 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 757,422; female 749,289)
15-64 years: 53% (male 885,087; female 927,282)
65 years and over: 3% (male 56,309; female 69,562) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.04% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 38.28 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)