Mount Tenakourou (also spelled Ténakourou, Tena Kourou or Téna Kourou) is the highest point in

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana t ...

. It is a hill situated on the border of the

Cascades Region Cascades is one of Burkina Faso's 13 administrative regions. It was created on 2 July 2001. The population of Cascades was 812,062 in 2019. It is the second least populous region in Burkina Faso and contains 3.96% of all Burkinabé. The region's ...

of Burkina Faso and the

Sikasso Region Sikasso Region ( Bambara: ߛߌߞߊߛߏ ߘߌߣߋߖߊ tr. Sikaso Dineja) is the southernmost region of Mali. The region's capital city, Sikasso, is the country's second-largest city. Major ethnic groups include the Senoufo, known for masks and rever ...

of the country of

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...

, not far from the source of 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 Bu ...

. It has an elevation of . The hill is part of Burkina Faso's South-Western

Paleozoic The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838 by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

massif and was formed through the incline of the country's Central Plateau. The surrounding terrain is relatively flat and around high. The Tenakourou is located to the North-West of

Sindou Sindou is a town located in the province of Léraba in Burkina Faso. It is the capital of Léraba Province Léraba is one of the 45 provinces of Burkina Faso, located in its Cascades Region. Its capital is Sindou. Its highest point (and the hi ...

Mont Tenakourou
Association Solidarité Djiguiya and can be reached through Kankalaba. Other nearby towns are

Orodara Orodara is a town and the capital of the province of Kénédougou in Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to ...

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 and

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre i ...

at . Sanou, W.I.
Village de Tena : une colline célèbre dans un village coupé du monde
Sidwaya, 20 August 2013 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. The name Tenakourou signifies "the hill of Tena" in

Dyula language Dyula (or Jula, Dioula, ''Julakan'' ߖߎ߬ߟߊ߬ߞߊ߲) is a language of the Mande language family spoken mainly in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali, and also in some other countries, including Ghana, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. It is one of ...

. Tena is the name of the village of around 600 inhabitants that lies at the foot of the peak, surrounded by scrubland. Its name means "have a seat here". The village has a mosque and a school, and sometimes hosts an Arts Festival. Although the area is considered a hotspot of plant diversity, it is still relatively neglected in terms of scientific research. Some of the species found are: Species of the fungus genus ''

Scleroderma Scleroderma is a group of autoimmune diseases that may result in changes to the skin, blood vessels, muscles, and internal organs. The disease can be either localized to the skin or involve other organs, as well. Symptoms may include areas ...

'' have also been identified.Sanon, K.B., et al. "Morphological and molecular analyses in Scleroderma species associated with some Caesalpinioid legumes, Dipterocarpaceae and Phyllanthaceae trees in southern Burkina Faso." ''Mycorrhiza'' 19.8 (2009): 571-584 File:Mt Tenakourou MS 1954.JPG, A hut near the summit of Tenakourou File:Burkina 20110120 081418.jpg, Stones at the top of the Tenakourou File:Burkina 20110119 175308.jpg, Village on the side of Mount Tenakourou File:Khaya senegalensis MS 2037.JPG, ''

Khaya senegalensis ''Khaya senegalensis'' is a species of tree in the Meliaceae family that is native to Africa. Common names include African mahogany, dry zone mahogany, Gambia mahogany, khaya wood, Senegal mahogany, ''cailcedrat'', ''acajou'', ''djalla'', and '' ...

'' near Mount Tenakourou

References

Mountains of Burkina Faso Mountains of Mali Burkina Faso–Mali border International mountains of Africa Highest points of countries {{Léraba-geo-stub