Ghana vs. Burkina Faso
Geography
| Ghana | Burkina Faso | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo | Western Africa, north of Ghana |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 2 00 W | 13 00 N, 2 00 W |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 238,533 sq km land: 227,533 sq km water: 11,000 sq km | total: 274,200 sq km land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Oregon | slightly larger than Colorado |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,420 km border countries (3): Burkina Faso 602 km, Cote d'Ivoire 720 km, Togo 1098 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 |
| Coastline | 539 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north | 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 |
| Terrain | mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area | 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) |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Mount Afadjato 885 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 190 m | highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m mean elevation: 297 m |
| Natural resources | gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone | gold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt |
| Land use | agricultural land: 69.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 20.7% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 11.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 36.5% (2018 est.) forest: 21.2% (2018 est.) other: 9.7% (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 land | 340 sq km (2012) | 550 sq km (2016) |
| Natural hazards | dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds from January to March; droughts | recurring droughts |
| Environment - current issues | recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threaten wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water | recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation (2019) |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation | 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 - note | Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake (manmade reservoir) by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi); the lake was created following the completion of the Akosombo Dam in 1965, which holds back the White Volta and Black Volta Rivers | landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas |
| Total renewable water resources | 56.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 13.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations being on or near the Atlantic coast 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 |
Source: CIA Factbook
