58 km, Cote d'Ivoire 532 km, Mauritania 2,237 km, Niger 821 km,
Senegal 419 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

International disputes: the disputed international boundary
between Burkina Faso and Mali was submitted to the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ issued its final
ruling in December 1986, which both sides agreed to accept; Burkina
Faso and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including
the tripoint with Niger

Climate: subtropical to arid; hot and dry February to June; rainy,
humid, and mild June to November; cool and dry November to February

Terrain: mostly flat to rolling northern plains covered by sand;
savanna in south, rugged hills in northeast
lowest point: Senegal River 23 m
highest point: Hombori Tondo 1,155 m

Natural resources: gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone,
uranium, bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are
known but not exploited

Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 25%
forest and woodland: 7%
other: 66%

Irrigated land: 50 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; desertification;
inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching
natural hazards: hot, dust-laden harmattan haze common during dry
seasons; recurring droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Nuclear Test Ban

Geographic note: landlocked

People
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Population: 9,653,261 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,310,294; female 2,308,941)
15-64 years: 49% (male 2,231,244; female 2,488,276)
65 years and over: 3% (male 149,370; female 165,136) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.95% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 51.38 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 19.49 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 102.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.84 years
male: 45.12 years