Question

Difficulty: MediumLocation, Size, and Political Divisions of Africa

Among the political divisions of Africa, West Africa contains three landlocked nations that lack direct access to an ocean or sea. Which of the following combinations correctly identifies all three landlocked West African countries?

  1. Burkina Faso, Mali, and NigerAnswer
  2. B
    Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea
  3. C
    Niger, Chad, and Burkina Faso
  4. D
    Mali, Niger, and Benin

Answer

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are the three landlocked countries situated in West Africa.
The combination listing Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger accurately identifies the only three landlocked sovereign states in the West African sub-region. None of these three nations possess a direct maritime coastline.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the regional geographical boundaries of West Africa.
West Africa consists of 16 countries, spanning from Mauritania in the west to Nigeria in the east.
Establishing regional boundaries narrows down the political scope to West African nations.
2
Identify countries within West Africa that have no oceanic coastline.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger do not possess sea borders, relying on coastal neighbors for maritime transit.
A landlocked nation is defined by being entirely encircled by land boundaries.
3
Distinguish West African landlocked nations from neighboring regional landlocked states.
Chad is a landlocked nation located in Central Africa, while Guinea and Benin are coastal West African states.
Excluding coastal states and landlocked states of neighboring regions verifies the precise combination.

Key Concept

Landlocked States and Political Divisions of West Africa
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