Benin vs. Togo
Geography
| Benin | Togo | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana |
| Geographic coordinates | 9 30 N, 2 15 E | 8 00 N, 1 10 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 112,622 sq km land: 110,622 sq km water: 2,000 sq km | total: 56,785 sq km land: 54,385 sq km water: 2,400 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Pennsylvania | slightly smaller than West Virginia |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,123 km border countries (4): Burkina Faso 386 km, Niger 277 km, Nigeria 809 km, Togo 651 km | total: 1,880 km border countries (3): Benin 651 km, Burkina Faso 131 km, Ghana 1098 km |
| Coastline | 121 km | 56 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm | territorial sea: 30 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north | tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north |
| Terrain | mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains | gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau; low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 273 m | highest point: Mont Agou 986 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 236 m |
| Natural resources | small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber | phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land |
| Land use | agricultural land: 31.3% (2018 est.) arable land: 22.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 3.5% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 4.9% (2018 est.) forest: 40% (2018 est.) other: 28.7% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 67.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 45.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 3.8% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 18.4% (2018 est.) forest: 4.9% (2018 est.) other: 27.7% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 230 sq km (2012) | 70 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March | hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during winter; periodic droughts |
| Environment - current issues | inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification (the spread of the desert into agricultural lands in the north is accelerated by regular droughts) | deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; very little rain forest still present and what remains is highly degraded; desertification; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands | the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna |
| Total renewable water resources | 26.39 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 14.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | the population is primarily located in the south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the north remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations of residents in the west at shown in this population distribution map | one of the more densely populated African nations with most of the population residing in rural communities, density is highest in the south on or near the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
