Burkina Faso vs. Cote d'Ivoire
Geography
| Burkina Faso | Cote d'Ivoire | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Africa, north of Ghana | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia |
| Geographic coordinates | 13 00 N, 2 00 W | 8 00 N, 5 00 W |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 274,200 sq km land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km | total: 322,463 sq km land: 318,003 sq km water: 4,460 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Colorado | slightly larger than New Mexico |
| Land boundaries | total: 3,611 km border countries (6): Benin 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 545 km, Ghana 602 km, Mali 1325 km, Niger 622 km, Togo 131 km | total: 3,458 km border countries (5): Burkina Faso 545 km, Ghana 720 km, Guinea 816 km, Liberia 778 km, Mali 599 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 515 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm |
| Climate | three climate zones including a hot tropical savanna with a short rainy season in the southern half, a tropical hot semi-arid steppe climate typical of the Sahel region in the northern half, and small area of hot desert in the very north of the country bordering the Sahara Desert | tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October) |
| Terrain | Mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in the west and southeast. Occupies an extensive plateau with savanna that is grassy in the north and gradually gives way to sparse forests in the south. (2019) | mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m mean elevation: 297 m | highest point: Monts Nimba 1,752 m lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m mean elevation: 250 m |
| Natural resources | gold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt | petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 44.2% (2018 est.) arable land: 22% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 37% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 21.93% (2018 est.) forest: 19.3% (2018 est.) other: 36.5% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 64.8% (2018 est.) arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 14.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.) forest: 32.7% (2018 est.) other: 2.5% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 550 sq km (2016) | 730 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | recurring droughts | coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible |
| Environment - current issues | recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation (2019) | deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been heavily logged); water pollution from sewage, and from industrial, mining, and agricultural effluents |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling 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 | most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated |
| Total renewable water resources | 13.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 84.14 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | Most of the population is located in the center and south. Nearly one-third of the population lives in cities. The capital and largest city is Ouagadougou (Ouaga), with a population of 1.8 million as shown in this population distribution map | the population is primarily located in the forested south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the northern savanna remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations located along transportation corridors as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
