Absolute Location of West Africa: Latitude and Longitude Boundaries

West Africa occupies the western bulge of the African continent. Its absolute location is approximately:

• Latitude: 4°N to 20°N (entirely in the Northern Hemisphere).
• Longitude: 17°W to 15°E (spanning the Prime Meridian; mostly Western Hemisphere).

Key Reference Points:

• Westernmost: Cap-Vert Peninsula, Senegal (~17°30'W).
• Easternmost: Lake Chad basin (~15°E).
• Northern fringe: Sahel transition to Sahara (~20°N).
• Southern coast: Gulf of Guinea (~4°N).

This region includes 16–18 countries (e.g., Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger). The coordinates define a climatic zone from humid tropics to arid Sahel.