W National Park, IUCN Management Category II, a transboundary park among Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso, as a part of the Niger River, encompasses an area of 563280 hectares in Benin; the prefix "W" is after the W-shaped bends in the Niger River that border's the park and which is fed the Tapoa River in the north, and the Mékrou River in the south.