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Cote d'Ivoire vs. Burkina Faso

Geography

Cote d'IvoireBurkina Faso
LocationWestern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and LiberiaWestern Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates8 00 N, 5 00 W13 00 N, 2 00 W
Map referencesAfricaAfrica
Areatotal: 322,463 sq km

land: 318,003 sq km

water: 4,460 sq km
total: 274,200 sq km

land: 273,800 sq km

water: 400 sq km
Area - comparativeslightly larger than New Mexicoslightly larger than Colorado
Land boundariestotal: 3,458 km

border countries (5): Burkina Faso 545 km, Ghana 720 km, Guinea 816 km, Liberia 778 km, Mali 599 km
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
Coastline515 km0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claimsterritorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm
none (landlocked)
Climatetropical 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)

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

Terrainmostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwestMostly 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)
Elevation extremeshighest point: Monts Nimba 1,752 m

lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m

mean elevation: 250 m
highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m

lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m

mean elevation: 297 m
Natural resourcespetroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropowergold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt
Land useagricultural 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.)
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.)
Irrigated land730 sq km (2012)550 sq km (2016)
Natural hazardscoast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possiblerecurring droughts
Environment - current issuesdeforestation (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 effluentsrecent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation (2019)
Environment - international agreementsparty 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
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
Geography - notemost of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populatedlandlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas
Total renewable water resources84.14 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)13.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Population distributionthe 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

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

(2019)

Source: CIA Factbook