Climate:
tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
Terrain:
vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in
northeast and southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m
highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m
Natural resources:
diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 3.1% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 96.75% (2005)
Irrigated land:
20 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are
common
Environment - current issues:
tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's
reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges;
desertification; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber
94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa