Burkina Faso Geography
LocationWestern Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Area
total: 274,200 sq km
land: 273,800 sq km
water: 400 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly larger than Colorado
Land boundaries
total: 3,193 km
border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m
Natural resources
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver
Land use
arable land: 14.43%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 85.38% (2001)
Irrigated land
250 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards
recurring droughts
Environment - current issues
recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas
