Short facts about the geography of Burkina Faso

Location:

Western Africa, north of Ghana

Geographic coordinates:

13 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total:  274,200 sq km land:  273,800 sq km water:  400 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Colorado

Land boundaries:

total:  3,192 km border countries:  Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 548 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:  13% permanent crops:  0% permanent pastures:  22% forests and woodland:  50% other:  15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

200 sq km (1993 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, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note:

landlocked

Source: World Factbook