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Location:
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Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Costa Rica and Honduras
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Geographic coordinates:
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13 00 N, 85 00 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 129,494 sq km
water: 9,240 sq km
land: 120,254 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than the state of New York
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,231 km
border countries: Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
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Coastline:
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910 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200 nm
continental shelf: natural prolongation
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Climate:
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tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
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Terrain:
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extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mogoton 2,438 m
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Natural resources:
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gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
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Land use:
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arable land: 15.94%
permanent crops: 1.94%
other: 82.12% (2001)
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Irrigated land:
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880 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides; extremely susceptible to hurricanes
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
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Geography - note:
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largest country in Central America; contains the largest freshwater body in Central America, Lago de Nicaragua
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