Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana

Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 274,200 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 273,800 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 400 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 75

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Colorado

Land boundaries:
total: 3,611 km
border countries (6): Benin 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 545 km, Ghana 602 km, Mali 1,325 km, Niger 622 km, Togo 131 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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:
mean elevation:
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
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:
agricultural land: 43% arable land 20.8%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 21.9%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 20.4%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 36.6% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
550 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
12.5 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.72 cu km/yr (46%/3%/51%)
per capita: 54.99 cu m/yr (2005)

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