The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is made up of fifteen member countries that are located in the Western African region. These countries have both cultural and geopolitical ties and shared common economic interest. The region of West Africa is located west of north-south axis lying close to 10° east longitude.

The Atlantic Ocean forms the western as well as the southern borders of the West African region. The northern border is the Sahara Desert, with the Ranishanu Bend generally considered the northernmost part of the region. The eastern border lies between the Benue Trough, and a line running from Mount Cameroon to Lake Chad.

Colonial boundaries are still reflected in the modern boundaries between contemporary West African states, cutting across ethnic and cultural lines, often dividing single ethnic groups between two or more states.

BENIN
President: Patrice Talon
Vice President: Mariam Chabi Talata
Capital: Porto-Novo
Official Language: French
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 12,123,200
Square: 114,763 sq km
GDP/person: $858.00
Total GDP: $10.12 billion
GINI Coefficient: 47.8
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 153

BURKINA FASO
President: Roch Marc Christian Kabore
Vice President: None
Capital: Ouagadougou
Official Language: French
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 20,903,273
Square: 274,200 sq km
GDP/person: $701.92
Total GDP: $15.52 billion
GINI Coefficient: 35.3
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 151

CABO VERDE
President: Jorge Carlos Fonseca
Vice President: Pedro Verona Pires Jr.
Capital: Praia
Official Language: Portuguese
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 549,935
Square: 4,033 sq km
GDP/person: $3,822.17
Total GDP: $2.17 billion
GINI Coefficient: 50.5
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 137

CÔTE D’IVOIRE
President: Alassane Ouattara
Vice President: Daniel Kablan Duncan
Capital: Yamoussoukro
Official Language: French
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 27,469,000
Square: 322,463 sq km
GDP/person: $1,667.00
Total GDP: $57.99 billion
GINI Coefficient: 41.5
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 122

THE GAMBIA
President: Adama Barrow
Vice President: Isatou Touray
Capital: Banjul
Official Language: English
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 2,416,668
Square: 10,690 sq km
GDP/person: $675.00
Total GDP: $1.58 billion
GINI Coefficient: 50.7
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 140

GHANA
President: Nana Akufo-Addo
Vice President: Mahamudu Bawumia
Capital: Accra
Official Language: English
Main Government Institution: Parliament
Population: 31,072,940
Square: 238,533 sq km
GDP/person: $2,224.32
Total GDP: $68.01 billion
GINI Coefficient: 42.8
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 118

GUINEA
President: Alpha Conde
Vice President: None
Capital: Conakry
Official Language: French
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 12,771,246
Square: 245,857 sq km
GDP/person: $498.00
Total GDP: $7.93 billion
GINI Coefficient: 39.4
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 153

GUINEA-BISSAU
President: Umaro Sissoco Embalo
Vice President: Mutaro Djalo
Capital: Bissau
Official Language: Portuguese
Main Government Institution: National Popular Assembly
Population: 1,874,303
Square: 36,125 sq km
GDP/person: $694.00
Total GDP: $1.36 billion
GINI Coefficient: 50.7
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 172

LIBERIA
President: George Weah
Vice President: Jewel Taylor
Capital: Monrovia
Official Language: English
Main Government Institution: National Legislature
Population: 5,057,681
Square: 111,369 sq km
GDP/person: $455.00
Total GDP: $2.48 billion
GINI Coefficient: 38.2
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 175

MALI
President: Ibrahim Boubacar Keita
Vice President: None
Capital: Bamako
Official Language: French
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 19,077,000
Square: 1,240,192 sq km
GDP/person: $798.00
Total GDP: $17.28 billion
GINI Coefficient: 33
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 148

NIGER
President: Mahamadou Issoufou
Vice President: None
Capital: Niamey
Official Language: French
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 24,206,644
Square: 1,267,000 sq km
GDP/person: $436.00
Total GDP: $12.57 billion
GINI Coefficient: 34.0
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 143

NIGERIA
President: Muhammadu Buhari
Vice President: Yemi Osinbajo
Capital: Abuja
Official Language: English
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 206,063,056
Square: 923,768 sq km
GDP/person: $2,229.60
Total GDP: $476.96 billion
GINI Coefficient: 35.0
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 131

SENEGAL
President: Macky Sall
Vice President: None
Capital: Dakar
Official Language: French
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 16,743,927
Square: 196,722 sq km
GDP/person: $1,491.38
Total GDP: $25.24 billion
GINI Coefficient: 39.2
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 123

SIERRA LEONE
President: Julius Maada Bio
Vice President: Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh
Capital: Freetown
Official Language: English
Main Government Institution: Parliament
Population: 7,092,113
Square: 71,740 sq km
GDP/person: $518.36
Total GDP: $4.15 billion
GINI Coefficient: 35.7
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 163

TOGO
President: Faure Gnassingbe
Vice President: None
Capital: Lome
Official Language: French
Main Government Institution: National Assembly
Population: 7,889,094
Square: 56,785 sq km
GDP/person: $690.00
Total GDP: $5.73 billion
GINI Coefficient: 43.0
Ease of Doing Business Index World Ranking: 9