Map of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a country in Africa with its capital at Ouagadougou, home to about 24.07 million people across 274,200 km². The interactive map below plots 32 cities and towns, 4 rivers and 1 mountain summits recorded for Burkina Faso in YearMaps.
- Population
- 24.07 million
- Area
- 274,200 km²
- Capital
- Ouagadougou
- Continent
- Africa
Interactive Map of Burkina Faso
Centred on Ouagadougou at 12.3723° N, 1.5267° W. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,878 sq mi). In 2024, the country had an estimated population of approximately 23,286,000. Its citizens are known as Burkinabes, and its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.
The largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso is the Mossi people, who settled the area in the 11th and 13th centuries. They established kingdoms such as Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo, and Yatenga. In 1896, it was colonized by the French as part of French West Africa; in 1958, it became a self-governing colony within the French Community. In 1960, it gained full independence with the name of the Republic of Upper Volta, with Maurice Yaméogo as the president. Since it gained its independence, the country has dealt with political instability, droughts, famines, and corruption. There have been various coups d'état, in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, and twice in 2022, in January and September. There were also unsuccessful coup attempts in 1989, 2015, and 2023.
Burkina Faso remains one of the least developed countries in the world, with a GDP of $16.226 billion in 2022. Approximately 63.8% of its population practices Islam, while 26.3% practices Christianity and 9% animistic religions, especially in the southwest of the country. The country's official languages are all national languages while Mooré is spoken by more than half of the population. There are more than 60 indigenous languages, and the constitution provides for other languages to be made official by law. The former government and business language was French until January 2024 when, alongside English, its status was demoted to that of a "working language" by ratification of a constitutional amendment.
The country's territory is geographically biodiverse, and includes plentiful reserves of gold, manganese, copper and limestone. Due to its multicultural make-up, Burkinabe art has a rich and long history, and is renowned for its orthodox style.
The country is governed as a semi-presidential republic, with executive, legislative and judicial powers. It is a member of the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Since 2025, Burkina Faso has formalised its exit from ECOWAS and La Francophonie, after it helped form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). It also remains suspended from the African Union.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Burkina Faso (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Burkina Faso
Many of Burkina Faso’s ethnic groups arrived in the region between the 12th and 15th centuries. The Gurma and Mossi peoples established several of the largest kingdoms in the area and used horse-mounted warriors in military campaigns. Of the various Mossi kingdoms, the most powerful were Ouagadougou and Yatenga. In the late 19th century, European states competed for control of the region. France eventually conquered the area and established it as a French protectorate. The country achieved independence from France in 1960 and changed its name to Burkina Faso in 1984. Repeated military coups were common in the country’s first few decades. In 1987 Blaise COMPAORE deposed the president, established a government, and ruled for 27 years. In 2014, COMPAORE resigned after protests against his repeated efforts to amend the constitution's two-term presidential limit. An interim administration led a year-long transition, organizing presidential and legislative elections. In 2015, Roch Marc Christian KABORE was elected president, and he was reelected in 2020. In 2022, the military conducted two takeovers: In January, army colonel Paul Henri DAMIBA overthrew KABORE in a coup d'etat, and then in September, army captain Ibrahim TRAORE deposed DAMIBA and declared himself transition president. The transition government planned to hold elections by July 2024, but they may be delayed due to security concerns. Terrorist groups -- including groups affiliated with Al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State -- began attacks in the country in 2016 and conducted attacks in the capital in 2016, 2017, and 2018. By early 2023, insecurity in Burkina Faso had displaced more than 2 million people and led to significant jumps in humanitarian needs and food insecurity. In addition to terrorism, the country faces a myriad of problems including high population growth, recurring drought, pervasive and perennial food insecurity, and limited natural resources. It is one of the world’s poorest countries.
- Location
- Western Africa, north of Ghana.
- Climate
- 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 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.
- Highest point
- Tena Kourou 749 m.
- Lowest point
- Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m.
- Coastline
- 0 km (landlocked)
- Land borders
- Total: 3,611 km; border countries: Benin 386 km; Cote d'Ivoire 545 km; Ghana 602 km; Mali 1325 km; Niger 622 km; Togo 131 km.
- Major rivers
- Volta river source (shared with Ghana [m]) - 1,600 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
- Natural resources
- Gold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 53.4% (2023 est.); arable land: 28.9% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 2.6% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 21.9% (2023 est.); forest: 12.7% (2023 est.); other: 33.9% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Recurring droughts.
- Geographic note
- Landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers, the Black, Red, and White Voltas.
- Languages
- Mossi 52.9%, Fula 7.8%, Gourmantche 6.8%, Dyula 5.7%, Bissa 3.3%, Gurunsi 3.2%, French (official) 2.2%, Bwamu 2%, Dagara 2%, San 1.7%, Marka 1.6%, Bobo 1.5%, Senufo 1.5%, Lobi 1.2%, other 6.6% (2019 est.)
- Religions
- Muslim 63.8%, Roman Catholic 20.1%, Animiste 9%, Protestant 6.2%, other 0.2%, none 0.7% (2019 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Mossi 53.7%, Fulani (Peuhl) 6.8%, Gurunsi 5.9%, Bissa 5.4%, Gurma 5.2%, Bobo 3.4%, Senufo 2.2%, Bissa 1.5%, Lobi 1.5%, Tuareg/Bella 0.1%, other 12.8%, foreign 0.7% (2021 est.)
- Economy
- Highly agrarian, low-income economy; limited natural resources; widespread poverty; terrorism disrupting potential economic activity; improving trade balance via increases in gold exports; economy inflating after prior deflation; growing public debt but still manageable.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Burkina Faso in Numbers
- Population
- 24.07 million
- GDP
- US$27.6 billion
- GDP per person
- US$1,148
- Life expectancy
- 61.3 years
- Population growth
- 2.21% a year
- Population density
- 86 per km²
- Urban population
- 28.9%
- Surface area
- 274,200 km²
- Forest cover
- 12.3%
- Arable land
- 28.9%
- Access to electricity
- 34.0%
- Internet users
- 28.3%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Burkina Faso in Depth
History
The northwestern part of present-day Burkina Faso was populated by hunter-gatherers from 14,000 BC to 5,000 BC. Their tools, including scrapers, chisels and arrowheads, were discovered in 1973 through archaeological excavations. Agricultural settlements were established between 3600 and 2600 BC. The Bura culture was an Iron-Age civilization centred in the southwest portion of modern-day Niger and in the southeast part of contemporary Burkina Faso. Iron industry, in smelting and forging for tools and weapons, had developed in Sub-Saharan Africa by 1200 BC.
To date, the oldest evidence of iron smelting found in Burkina Faso dates from 800 to 700 BC and forms part of the Ancient Ferrous Metallurgy World Heritage Site.
Geography
Burkina Faso lies mostly between latitudes 9° and 15° N (a small area is north of 15°), and longitudes 6° W and 3° E.
There are two major types of countryside. The larger part of the country is covered by a peneplain, which forms a gently undulating landscape with, in some areas, a few isolated hills, the last vestiges of a Precambrian massif. The southwest of the country is a sandstone massif, where the highest peak, Ténakourou, is found at an elevation of 749 meters (2,457 ft). The massif is bordered by sheer cliffs up to 150 m (492 ft) high. The average altitude of Burkina Faso is 400 m (1,312 ft) and the difference between the highest and lowest terrain is no greater than 600 m (1,969 ft).
Economy
Burkina Faso remains one of the least developed countries in the world, with an economy based primarily on subsistence farming and livestock raising. The country has an average income purchasing-power-parity per capita of $2,980 and nominal per capita of $1,110 in 2025. More than 80% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture, with only a small fraction directly involved in industry and services. A large part of the economic activity of the country is funded by international aid, despite having gold ores in abundance.
Burkina Faso's economy showed signs of recovery in recent years. According to the World Bank, the economy grew by 4.9% in 2024 compared to 3.0% in 2023. Real per capita GDP growth also increased from 0.7% to 2.5% over the same period.
Demographics
Burkina Faso is an ethnically integrated, secular state where most people are concentrated in the south and centre, where their density sometimes exceeds 48 inhabitants per square kilometre (120/sq mi). Hundreds of thousands of Burkinabè migrate regularly to Ivory Coast and Ghana, mainly for seasonal agricultural work. These flows of workers are affected by external events; the September 2002 coup attempt in Ivory Coast and the ensuing fighting meant that hundreds of thousands of Burkinabè returned to Burkina Faso. The regional economy suffered when they were unable to work.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Burkina Faso (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Burkina Faso: Key Facts
| Currency | West African CFA franc |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Mooré, Bissa, Dioula |
| Head of state | Ibrahim Traoré |
| Head of government | Apollinaire Joachim Kyélem de Tambèla |
| Form of government | military junta |
| Calling code | +226 |
| Internet domain | .bf |
| Highest point | Mount Tenakourou |
| Lowest point | Black Volta |
| Established | 1960 |
Facts from Wikidata Q965 (CC0).
History of Burkina Faso: Empires and States
The atlas records 5 polities whose mapped territory included part of Burkina Faso, from French Third Republic in 1905 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| French Third Republic | 1905–1939 CE | Nearly all |
| French Africa | 1905–1957 CE | Nearly all |
| The French Colonial Empire | 1905–1957 CE | Nearly all |
| French Fourth Republic | 1945–1957 CE | Nearly all |
| Burkina Faso | 1961–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. Burkina Faso is one of the friendliest countries in all of Africa. Until unrest began in the late 2010s that made travel to the country unsafe, it received only a few tourists per year, and was an excellent destination for anyone interested in seeing a beautiful West African country and exploring African culture and music. It offers a diverse traditional culture, history, tribal art and a variety of landscapes.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Burkina Faso (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Burkina Faso
32 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ouagadougou | 1.15 million | Kadiogo | National capital |
| 2 | Bobo Dioulasso | 360,106 | Houet | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Koudougou | 87,347 | Boulkiemdé | Admin-1 capital |
| 4 | Ouahigouya | 79,504 | Yatenga | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Banfora | 60,288 | Komoé | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Dédougou | 45,341 | Mou Houn | Admin-1 capital |
| 7 | Kaya | 40,017 | Sanmatenga | Admin-1 capital |
| 8 | Tenkodogo | 38,108 | Boulgou | Admin-1 capital |
| 9 | Dori | 37,806 | Séno | Admin-1 capital |
| 10 | Réo | 37,535 | Sanguié | Admin-1 capital |
| 11 | Fada Ngourma | 33,910 | Gourma | Admin-1 capital |
| 12 | Koupéla | 32,052 | Kouritenga | Admin-1 capital |
| 13 | Kombissiri | 30,137 | Bazéga | Admin-1 capital |
| 14 | Nouna | 29,048 | Kossi | Admin-1 capital |
| 15 | Gaoua | 28,023 | Poni | Admin-1 capital |
| 16 | Leo | 26,884 | Sissili | Admin-1 capital |
| 17 | Diapaga | 26,013 | Tapoa | Admin-1 capital |
| 18 | Zorgo | 23,892 | Ganzourgou | Admin-1 capital |
| 19 | Yako | 22,904 | Passoré | Admin-1 capital |
| 20 | Djibo | 22,223 | Soum | Admin-1 capital |
| 21 | Orodara | 18,632 | Kénédougou | Admin-1 capital |
| 22 | Pô | 17,924 | Nahouri | Admin-1 capital |
| 23 | Tougan | 17,590 | Sourou | Admin-1 capital |
| 24 | Boulsa | 17,489 | Namentenga | Admin-1 capital |
| 25 | Manga | 15,173 | Zoundwéogo | Admin-1 capital |
The other 7 (population, region, role)
- Diébougou · 12,732 · Bougouriba · Admin-1 capital
- Ziniaré · 12,703 · Oubritenga · Admin-1 capital
- Solenzo · 10,385 · Banwa · Admin-1 capital
- Bogandé · 9,854 · Gnagna · Admin-1 capital
- Gorom Gorom · 6,691 · Oudalan · Admin-1 capital
- Sapouy · 3,837 · Ziro · Admin-1 capital
- Sebba · 3,273 · Yagha · Admin-1 capital
Highest Mountains in Burkina Faso
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Téna Kourou | 747 m | 2,451 ft | Africa |
Téna Kourou
Mountain · 747 m
Téna Kourou is a mountain rising to 747 metres (2,451 ft) in Burkina Faso and Mali, in the Africa region. The summit stands on the border between them. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Mount Tenakourou (also spelled Ténakourou, Tena Kourou or Téna Kourou) is the highest point in Burkina Faso. It is a hill situated on the border of the Cascades Region of Burkina Faso and the Sikasso Region of the country of Mali, not far from the source of the Black Volta. It has an elevation of 747 metres (2,451 ft). The hill is part of Burkina Faso's South-Western Paleozoic sandstone massif and was formed through the incline of the country's Central Plateau. The surrounding terrain is relatively flat and around 400 metres (1,312 ft) high.
The Tenakourou is located 46 kilometres (29 miles) to the North-West of Sindou and can be reached through Kankalaba. Other nearby towns are Orodara in Burkina Faso and Loulouni in Mali. One of the attractions is that the summit offers a view over three countries: Burkina Faso, Mali at a distance of 3 kilometres (2 miles) and Ivory Coast at 13 kilometres (8 miles). In 1974, the French erected a pile of stones on the summit to raise its elevation to 750 metres. Between 2003 and 2005, the National Tourism Office of Burkina Faso organised a series of high-profile climbs of the hill to raise its touristic potential.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Mount Tenakourou (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 747 m (2,451 ft)
- Global rank
- #591 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Africa (#85)
- Countries
- Burkina Faso, Mali
- Coordinates
- 10.7701°, -5.4100°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Téna Kourou ranks #591 by elevation, below Mont Singave (762 m) and above Hohe Acht (747 m).
- Ranges:
- Guinea Highlands (Africa), Loma Mountains (Africa)
- Settlements below:
- Banfora (73 km), Bobo Dioulasso (130 km), Gaoua (249 km)
Rivers in Burkina Faso
4 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Burkina Faso
3 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | W-Arly-Pendjari Complex | 1996 | Natural | (ix) (x) |
| 2 | Ancient ferrous metallurgy sites of Burkina Faso | 2019 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) (vi) |
| 3 | Royal Court of Tiébélé | 2024 | Cultural | (iii) (vi) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Burkina Faso
2 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa | 29.41M km² | Continent | Africa |
| 2 | Sahel | 1.02M km² | Plain | Africa |
Sahel
Plain · 1.02M km²
Sahel is a plain in Africa, covering an estimated 1.02M km². It extends across Mauritania, Sudan, Niger, Chad, Mali, Egypt, Senegal, South Sudan, Nigeria, Eritrea, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Algeria. It is the 17th-largest of the 231 landforms with a mapped extent in YearMaps.
The Sahel region (; from Arabic ساحل sāḥil [ˈsaːħil], "coast, shore"), or Sahelian acacia savanna, is a biogeographical region in Africa. It is the transition zone between the more humid Sudanian savannas to its south and the drier Sahara to the north. The Sahel has a hot semi-arid climate and stretches across the southernmost latitudes of North Africa between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea. Although geographically located in the tropics, the Sahel does not have a tropical climate.
The Sahel has one of the world's fastest-growing populations due to its high human birthrate, with approximately 80 million people in 2018. The western Sahel in particular has experienced frequent food and water shortages due to droughts caused by its semi-arid climate, as well as high levels of government corruption. Since the 2010s, various coups, insurgencies, terrorist incidents, and foreign interventions have taken place across the Sahel and Françafrique, leading to the region being called the Coup Belt. As a result, the Sahel is viewed as both an ecoregion and a geopolitical space shaped by internal instability and external strategic competition.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Sahel (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Plain
- Mapped extent
- 1.02M km²
- Size rank
- #17 of 231 landforms
- Region
- Africa
- Countries
- Mauritania, Sudan, Niger, Chad, Mali, Egypt, Senegal, South Sudan, Nigeria, Eritrea, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Algeria
- Coordinates
- 15.5072°, 15.0064°
- Summits:
- Téna Kourou (747 m)
- Ranges:
- Marrah Mountains (Africa), Al Jabal al Akhdar (Africa)
- Settlements:
- Diapaga (1,476 km), Dori (1,624 km), Fada Ngourma (1,627 km)
More about Sahel
Geography
The Sahel spans 5,900 km (3,670 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east, in a belt several hundred to a thousand kilometers (c. 600 miles) wide. It covers an area of 3,053,200 square kilometers (1,178,850 sq mi).
Representing a climatic and ecological transition zone with hot semi-desert and steppe conditions, the region borders the more humid Sudanian savannas to its south and the dry Sahara desert to the north. This ecoregion is also called the Sahelian acacia savanna in honour of its most prominent and very drought tolerant genus of tree.
The topography is mainly flat; most of the region lies between 200 and 400 meters (660 and 1,310 ft) in elevation.
History
Around 4000 BC, the climate of the Sahara and the Sahel started to become drier at an exceedingly fast pace. This climate change caused lakes and rivers to shrink significantly and caused increasing desertification. This in turn decreased the amount of land conducive to settlements and caused migrations of farming communities to the more humid climate of West Africa.
The larger Sahelian kingdoms emerged from 750 AD and founded several large cities in the Niger valley region, including Timbuktu, Gao and Djenné.
The kingdom of Alodia was a Christian Nubian Kingdom in the eastern Sahel that reached its zenith from the 9th to 12th century. It was first mentioned in 569, its capital Soba located near modern-day Khartoum.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Sahel (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Countries Bordering Burkina Faso
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Africa
Burkina Faso: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Burkina Faso?
- The capital of Burkina Faso is Ouagadougou.
- What is the population of Burkina Faso?
- Burkina Faso has a population of about 24.07 million, the #59 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Burkina Faso?
- Burkina Faso covers 274,200 km², ranking #75 by area, with about 88 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Burkina Faso in?
- Burkina Faso is in Africa.
- Which countries border Burkina Faso?
- Burkina Faso shares a land or maritime border with Ghana, Mali, Togo, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger.
- What is the largest city in Burkina Faso?
- Ouagadougou is the largest city in Burkina Faso, with a metropolitan population of about 1.15 million.
- What is the highest mountain in Burkina Faso?
- The highest summit recorded for Burkina Faso in YearMaps is Téna Kourou at 747 m (2,451 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.