Mercator
Conformal, cylindrical. Meridians and parallels form a rectangular grid, and the spacing between parallels grows toward the poles, so polar regions are hugely enlarged.
Africa · BFA · Country profile
Burkina Faso: true size, area and map scale
Explore the country's geographic outline, see it in different projections and compare it with a familiar scale.
Simplified outline · Natural Earth274,200 km²
- Total surface area
- 274,200 km² 2023 data
- Population
- 24,074,580 2025 data
- Population density
- 88 per km² Population ÷ land area
- Land area
- 273,600 km² 2023 data
- Capital
- Ouagadougou Africa
- Country code
- BFA ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 / UN M49
Explore the shape
Country shape under different projections
The same country, different ways to show the Earth. Each outline opens a map with this country selected.
Globe (Orthographic)
Neither equal-area nor conformal, perspective azimuthal. It looks like a photograph of the globe from space: only one hemisphere is visible, and areas near the edge of the disk are squeezed hard.
Equal Earth
Equal-area, pseudocylindrical. Parallels are straight lines, the poles are flat lines, and the sides of the map are gently rounded, much like Robinson.
Outlines fit their tiles. They show changes in shape, not areas at a shared scale. The Mercator value estimates area inflation at the country's centre.
Understand the scale
How large is Burkina Faso?
A familiar reference, a similar area and a different latitude. Both outlines in each preview share the same scale.
Burkina FasoOther country
Compare outlines on the map
A familiar reference
Burkina Faso vs Poland
Area ratio (Poland / Burkina Faso): about 1.1.
Compare size 1:1Compare outlines on the map
Similar area
Burkina Faso vs New Zealand
New Zealand: 268,164.31 km². Compare their areas.
Compare size 1:1Compare outlines on the map
A different latitude
Burkina Faso vs Greenland
See how location affects the impression of size.
Compare size 1:1The numbers in context
Burkina Faso: true size, population, and map scale without illusions
Burkina Faso covers 274,200 km², ranking 74 out of 200 by area in this dataset. This is a mid-to-large area, useful for comparisons with countries familiar from European maps. Within Africa, that places it 29 out of 55.
Burkina Faso covers about 88% of the area of Poland. This comparison is deliberately simple: Poland works as an easy reference point, and then it makes sense to move toward a similarly sized country. By area, the closest match is New Zealand.
More about area, population and location
The population is approximately 24,074,580 people, with an average density of 88/km². Burkina Faso ranks 59 out of 197 by population and 98 out of 197 by density. That is moderate density, useful for reading the relationship between area, cities, and landscape.
Within its continent, Burkina Faso represents about 0.9% of the area and about 1.6% of the population covered by this dataset. Its continental population rank is 20 out of 54, so area alone does not tell the full story.
In Africa, many territories sit closer to the equator, so world maps often visually underplay them compared with northern places stretched by the Mercator projection. That is why Burkina Faso is best read through several lenses: raw numbers, an equal-scale outline, a comparison with Poland, and a matchup with New Zealand. Then the map stops being a picture and starts becoming a tool for discovery.
If you want to remember the scale quickly, compare Burkina Faso with a country of similar area and a country of similar population. By population, Mali is a useful next clue.
#74AreaArea rank among 200 countries and territories with a verified area.
#29ContinentBurkina Faso covers about 0.9% of the area in Africa.
#59PopulationAbout 24,074,580 people; continental rank 20 of 54.
88/km²DensityAverage people per square kilometer; density rank: #98 of 197.New ZealandClosest scaleThe most natural same-area outline comparison.The numeric values are used as comparative references for learning scale. Rankings include only countries and territories with a verified value in the selected sources.
Test your intuition
From map to challenge
Questions and sources
Frequently asked questions about size and location
What is the actual area of Burkina Faso?
Burkina Faso covers 274,200 km². In this dataset, that ranks 74 out of 200 by area, and 29 out of 55 within its continent. Burkina Faso covers about 88% of the area of Poland.
How many people live in Burkina Faso, and how dense is it?
The population is approximately 24,074,580 people, with an average density of 88/km². Burkina Faso ranks 59 out of 197 by population and 98 out of 197 by density. That is moderate density, useful for reading the relationship between area, cities, and landscape.
What should I compare Burkina Faso with to understand its scale?
Two comparisons work especially well: Burkina Faso vs Poland as a familiar reference point, and Burkina Faso vs New Zealand because their areas are very close. For population, Mali is another useful comparison.
Do world maps show Burkina Faso at the right scale?
In Africa, many territories sit closer to the equator, so world maps often visually underplay them compared with northern places stretched by the Mercator projection. That is why a country's position on the map can mislead, while same-scale outline comparison usually gives a better intuition than a classic atlas.
Why can Burkina Faso look different in different map projections?
Every projection moves a globe onto a flat surface and must trade something away: shape, area, direction, or distance. On this page, you can compare the impression created by Mercator, orthographic, and equal-area views.
How should I use this page to remember the size of Burkina Faso?
Start with the numbers, open a 1vs1 comparison with a similar country, and then try the size-illusion quiz. That sequence combines facts, visuals, and play, making the scale easier to remember.
Take a closer look at the data
Each value keeps its own reference year or source edition. Boundaries are simplified and are not suitable for geodetic measurements.
Keep exploring
Choose another perspective
Geometry: Natural Earth / world-atlas, public domain. Outlines simplified and transformed into map projections. Sources, licences and data coverage.