The Burkina Faso–Ivory Coast border is 545 km (339 m) in length and runs from the tripoint with Mali in the west to the tripoint with Ghana in the east.

Description

The border starts in the west at the tripoint with Mali on the Léraba river; the border then follows this river, and then the Kamoe, as they flow south-eastwards. The border then turns eastwards, proceeding via various rivers (such as the Keleworo, Kanba and Koulbi) and irregular overland lines to the tripoint with Ghana in the east on the

Black Volta The Black Volta or Mouhoun is a river that flows through Burkina Faso for approximately 1,352 km (840 mi) to the White Volta in Dagbon, Ghana, the upper end of Lake Volta. The source of the Black Volta is in the Cascades Region of Burki ...

river.

History

France had begun signing treaties with chiefs along the modern Ivorian coast in the 1840s, thereby establishing a protectorate which later became the colony of Ivory Coast in 1893. As a result of the

Scramble for Africa The Scramble for Africa, also called the Partition of Africa, or Conquest of Africa, was the invasion, annexation, division, and colonisation of Africa, colonization of most of Africa by seven Western Europe, Western European powers during a ...

in the 1880s, France had gained control the upper valley of the Niger River (roughly equivalent to the areas of modern Mali and Niger). France occupied this area in 1900; Mali (then referred to as

French Sudan French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

) was originally included, along with modern Niger and Burkina Faso, within the

Upper Senegal and Niger Upper Senegal and Niger () was a colony in French West Africa, created on 21 October 1904 from colonial Senegambia and Niger by the decree "For the Reorganisation of the general government of French West Africa". At its creation, the "Colony of ...

colony and (along with Ivory Coast) became a constituent of the federal colony of

French West Africa French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...

(''Afrique occidentale française'', abbreviated AOF). The internal divisions of AOF underwent several changes during its existence; what are now Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso were initially united as Upper Senegal and Niger, with Niger constituting a military territory ruled from Zinder. The Niger military territory was split off in 1911, becoming a separate colony in 1922, and Mali and Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) were constituted as separate colonies in 1919. During the period 1932–47 Upper Volta was abolished and its territory split out between French Sudan, Niger and Ivory Coast, with the latter gaining the bulk of the territory, re-named "Haute Côte d'Ivoire". The precise date the Ivory Coast–Upper Volta boundary was drawn appears to be uncertain – it is thought to have been drawn at the time of the formal institution of Upper Volta in 1919, based upon the rough delimitation of Ivorian territory by France in 1899. As the movement for decolonisation grew in the post- Second World War era, France gradually granted more political rights and representation for their sub-Saharan African colonies, culminating in the granting of broad internal autonomy to French West Africa in 1958 within the framework of the

French Community The French Community (1958–1960; french: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of decolonization. It replaced the French Union, which ...

. Eventually, in 1960, both Ivory Coast and Upper Volta gained independence, and their mutual frontier became an international one between two states. Since the outbreak of conflict in northern Mali in 2012 Ivory Coast has begun strengthening security at its northern borders in order to prevent any spill-over.

Settlements near the border

Burkina Faso

* Niangoloko *

Farakorosso Farakorosso is a town in the Mangodara Department of Comoé Province in south-western Burkina Faso, on the border with Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the sou ...

* Ouangolodougou * Magodara * Moulepo * Bousoukoula * Kampti

Ivory Coast

Kaouara Kaouara is a town in the far north of Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefecture of Ouangolodougou Department in Tchologo Region, Savanes District, adjacent to the border with Burkina Faso. A border crossing with Burkina Faso is located 16 kilometres no ...

* Ouangolodougou * Govitan * Lankio * Kalamon *

Danoa Danoa is a town in the far northeast of Ivory Coast, adjacent to the border with Burkina Faso. It is a sub-prefecture of Doropo Department in Bounkani Region, Zanzan District. Danoa was a commune A commune is an alternative term for an intenti ...

* Doropo

Border crossings

The main crossing is located at Doropo (CIV)–Kampti (BFA).Tom Sykes (2011) ''Bradt Travel Guide – Ivory Coast'', pgs. 41

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burkina Faso-Ivory Coast border Borders of Burkina Faso Borders of Ivory Coast International borders