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@Burkina Faso
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Map
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Location: 13 00 N, 2 00 W -- Western Africa, north of Ghana

Flag
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Description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green
with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular
pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Geography
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Location: Western Africa, north of Ghana

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 2 00 W

Map references: Africa

Area:
total area: 274,200 sq km
land area: 273,800 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Colorado

Land boundaries:
total: 3,192 km
border countries: Benin 306 km, Ghana 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km,
Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

International disputes: following mutual acceptance of an
International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in December 1986 on
their international boundary dispute, Burkina Faso and Mali are
proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with
Niger

Climate: tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Terrain: mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in
west and southeast
lowest point: 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: 10%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 37%
forest and woodland: 26%
other: 27%

Irrigated land: 160 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: recent droughts and desertification severely
affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the
economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
natural hazards: recurring droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geographic note: landlocked

People
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Population: 10,623,323 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,569,806; female 2,537,106)
15-64 years: 49% (male 2,444,601; female 2,738,726)
65 years and over: 3% (male 145,479; female 187,605) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.53% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 47.02 births/1,000 population