Burkina Faso Geography Profile 2009

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: 3,193 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, phosphates, pumice, salt

Land use

arable land: 17.66%
permanent crops: 0.22%
other: 82.12% (2005)

Irrigated land

250 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

17.5 cu km (2001)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.8 cu km/yr (13%/1%/86%)
per capita: 60 cu m/yr (2000)

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas