Home > Geography of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) is a landlocked Sahel country that shares borders with six nations. It is normally bright yellow on a map. It lies between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Guinea, south of the loop of the Niger River. The land is green in the south, with forests and fruit trees, and desert in the north. Most of central Burkina Faso lies on a savanna plateau, 198-305 meters (650-1,000 ft.) above sea level, with fields, brush, and scattered trees. Burkina Faso's game preserves--the most important of which are Arly , Nazinga , and W National Park --contain lions, elephants, hippopotamus, monkeys, warthogs, and antelopes. Tourism is not well developed.Annual rainfall varies from about 100 centimeters (40 in.) in the south to less than 25 centimeters (10 in.) in the extreme north and northeast, where hot desert winds accentuate the dryness of the region. Burkina Faso has three distinct seasons: warm and dry (November-March), hot and dry (March-May), and hot and wet (June-October). Rivers are not navigable.
Location:
Western Africa, north of GhanaThe Republic of Ghana is a nation of western Africa. It borders Cote d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo to the east, and borders the Gulf of Guinea to its south. Republic of Ghana ( In Detail) (Full size) National motto: Freedom and Jus
Geographic coordinates: 13°00' N, 2°00' W
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 274,200 kmē
land: 273,800 kmē
water: 400 kmē
Area - comparative: slightly larger than ColoradoThere are also three Colorado Rivers: two in the United States and one in Argentina. Colorado is a state in the western United States. The name of Colorado came from the Spanish word "colorado" which means "reddish color". The name comes from the Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 3,192 km
border countries:
BeninThe Republic of Benin is a nation of western Africa, formerly known as Dahomey . It has a small coast line with the Bight of Benin in the south, borders Togo in the west, Nigeria in the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger in the north. History Main article: 306 km,
Côte d'IvoireThe Republic of Cote d'Ivoire ( French for Ivory Coast by which it is often rendered in English) is a country in West Africa. It borders Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ghana to the west, north, and east, and borders the Gulf of Guinea to its sou 584 km,
GhanaThe Republic of Ghana is a nation of western Africa. It borders Cote d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso in the north, Togo to the east, and borders the Gulf of Guinea to its south. Republic of Ghana ( In Detail) (Full size) National motto: Freedom and Jus 548 km,
MaliRepublique de Mali ( In Detail) National motto: Un peuple, un but, une foi(One people, one goal, one faith Official language French (official), Bambara, others Capital Bamako President Amadou Toumani Toure Prime Minister Ousmane Issoufi Maiga Area Total % 1,000 km,
NigerRepublique du Niger ( In Detail) (Full size) National motto: Fraternite, Travail, Progres(Fraternity, Work, Progress Official language French (official), Hausa, Djerma, Tamajaq Capital Niamey Capital's coordinates 13° 32' N, 2° 05' E Largest City Niamey P 628 km,
TogoRepublique Togolaise ( In Detail) National motto: Travail, Liberte, Patrie(Work, Liberty, Homeland Official language French Capital Lome President Gnassingbe Eyadema Prime minister Koffi Sama Area Total % water Ranked 122nd 56,785 kmē 4. 2 Population Tota 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 kmē (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
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
