Borders
at a glance
International borders in West and Central Africa
This visualisation portrays information on the length of borders, population
density and landscape in West and Central Africa. It provides a new way to
look at borders and helps to situate them within their diverse contexts.
WEST AFRICA (50.200 km)
Countries shown in order of ascending border length
THE GAMBIA (GMB)
CAPE VERDE (CPV)
GUINEA-BISSAU (GNB)
SIERRA LEONE (SLE)
Sea
Sea
LIBERIA (LBR)
BENIN (BEN)
TOGO (TGO)
GHANA (GHA)
LEGEND
Sea
SEN
Sea
SEN
GIN
LBR
Sea BFA
GIN
BEN
GHA
Sea NGA
TGO
CIV
NER BFA
GIN
SLE Sea
Sea
CIV
TGO
BFA
Country name
and ISO code
COUNTRY A (ISO)
Length of
the border
Country B
Country C
Country D
Population
density
SENEGAL (SEN)
Neighbouring
countries’ ISO
codes
Sea
GNB MRT
BURKINA FASO (BFA)
GMB
MLI
TGO GHA
GIN
MLI
CÔTE D'IVOIRE (CIV)
NER
CIV
Sea
BEN
GHA
REPUBLIC OF GUINEA (GIN)
GIN
LBR
MLI
BFA
Sea
CIV
GNB
LBR
MLI
SEN SLE
Landscape in
the border
area
Scale
0
500
1000
NIGERIA (NGA)
2000 km
MAURITANIA (MRT)
NIGER (NER)
N
N
N
N=North
S=South
W=West
E=East
Sea
CMR
NER
N
S
S
TCD BEN
NGA
MAL
BEN BFA
S
S
DZA
LBY
SEN
TCD
Sea
MLI
DZA
MAR/ESH
Population density in the border area
Persons per km²
MALI (MLI)
N
N
S
0-2
2-5
5-10
10-15
15-50
50-100
100-500
1000-10000
BFA
CIV
GIN
NER
S
SEN
MRT
DZA
LANDSCAPE
Forest and Savannah
Desert
Sea
Tropical Forest
Mountains and Hills
Lake
Steppe and Grassland
Border Capital
River
CENTRAL AFRICA (36.800 km)
Countries shown in order of ascending border length
EQUATORIAL GUINEA (GNQ)
GABON (GAB)
CAMEROON (CMR)
N
S
GNQ
Sea CMR GAB
CMR COG
Sea
W
CMR
TCD
TCD
COD
COG
S
E
COG
GNQ GAB CAF
N
W
E
NGA
REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (COG)
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (CAF)
OVERVIEW
23 Countries
Sea
SSD
1
SDN
1
AGO
1
COD
Sea CAF
GAB
CMR
87.000 km of borders
Land Borders
Coastline
CHAD (TCD)
W
79.300
km
W
N
E
7.700
km
CMR
NGA CAF
SDN
LBY
1
N
E
S
S
NER
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (COD)
N
W
S
UGA 1
FOOTNOTE
1 Countries or territories not part of the Rabat Process: Angola (AGO), Burundi (BDI),
Rwanda (RWA), South Sudan (SSD), Sudan (SDN), Tanzania (TZA), Uganda (UGA)
and Zambia (ZMB)
DISCLAIMER
Boundaries and names shown in this visualisation imply neither official
endorsement nor acceptance by the EU, ICMPD or FIIAPP. Indications of border lengths
are rounded. Data on population density and geographical characteristics have been
simplified for visualisation purposes. The position of countries does not always
correspond to their geographic location on a map.
RWA1 BDI1 ZMB 1
SOURCES
COG
PROJECT FUNDED BY THE EU
Border lengths: CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
Population Density: Columbia University, Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN):
Population, Landscape And Climate Estimates (PLACE), Population Density Africa (2007): http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/
Geographic characteristics: Google Earth Satellite images; Google Maps terrain information; University of Berkeley;
Earth Sciences and Map Library; Natural Vegetation in Africa Map: http://cluster3.lib.berkeley.edu/EART/maps/africa-veg.gif
European Union
E
TZA 1
AGO 1
Sea
PROJECT IMPLEMENTED BY ICMPD AND FIIAPP
CAF
SSD 1