The Black Volta or Mouhoun ( French: ''Volta noire'') is a river that flows through

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, 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 (105,87 ...

for approximately 1,352 km (840 mi) to the White Volta in Dagbon,

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

, the upper end of Lake Volta. It is one of the three main parts of the Volta, with the White Volta and the Red Volta. The source of the Black Volta is in the Cascades Region of Burkina Faso, close to Mount Tenakourou, the highest point of the country. Further downstream it forms part of the border between Ghana and Burkina Faso, and later between

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

and Ghana. Within Ghana, it marks the border between the Savannah and Bono regions. The Bui Dam, a

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

power plant, is built on the river, just south of the Bui National Park, which the river bisects.

References

Volta River Rivers of Ghana Lake Volta Rivers of Burkina Faso International rivers of Africa Ghana–Ivory Coast border Burkina Faso–Ghana border Rivers of Ivory Coast Border rivers Lowest points of countries {{IvoryCoast-river-stub