Size: Approximately 1,284,000 square kilometers.

Topography: Northern third desert, with mountains in north and plateaus in northeast central third broad, arid savanna with Lake Chad in west, massif in center, and highlands in east southern third wooded and humid lowlands, intersected by rivers.

Climate: Northern Saharan zone generally hot and dry central sahelian zone mostly dry with rainy season from June to early September southern soudanian zone tropical with rainy season lasting from April to October.

Data as of December 1988