Part 114

Location: 13 00 N, 2 00 W -- Western Africa, north of Ghana

Flag ----

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 ---------

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 ------

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 (1996 est.)

Death rate: 19.99 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female all ages: 0.94 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 117.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)