Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta)
achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups
during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the
early 1990s. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987
military coup and has won every election since then. Burkina Faso's high
population density and limited natural resources result in poor
economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in
Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several
hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in
neighboring countries.
Geography ::Burkina Faso
Location:
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 274,200 sq km
land:
273,800 sq km
water:
400 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Colorado
Land boundaries:
total: 3,193 km
border countries:
Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Current Weather
tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain:
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
highest point:
Tena Kourou 749 m
Natural resources:
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt
recent droughts and
desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population
distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation;
deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas
People ::Burkina Faso
Population:
16,241,811
country comparison to the world: 61
note:estimates
for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher
infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and
changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)
65 years and over:
2.5% (male 159,462/female 248,349) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.8 years
male:
16.6 years
female:
17 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.095% (2010 est.)
1
Birth rate:
43.98 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Death rate:
13.02 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
4
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 20% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.64 male(s)/female
total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 82.98 deaths/1,000 live births
3
male:
90.53 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
75.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.32 years
03
male:
51.39 years
female:
55.31 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.21 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.6% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 38
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
130,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
9,200 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases:
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease:
malaria and yellow fever
water contact disease:
schistosomiasis
respiratory disease:
meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease:
rabies
note:highly
pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it
poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US
citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)
adjective:
Burkinabe
Ethnic groups:
Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani)
Religions:
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
Languages:
French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
21.8%
male:
29.4%
female:
15.2% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 5 years
male:
5 years
female:
4 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.2% of GDP (2006)
Government ::Burkina Faso
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form:
Burkina Faso
local long form:
none
local short form:
Burkina Faso
former:
Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Ouagadougou
geographic coordinates:
12 22 N, 1 31 W
time difference:
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
approved by referendum 2 June 1991; formally adopted 11 June 1991; last amended January 2002
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
head of government:
Prime Minister Tertius ZONGO (since 4 June 2007)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
elections:
president
elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second
term); election last held on 13 November 2005 (next to be held on 21
November 2010); in April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the
presidential term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005;
prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the
legislature
election results:
Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.3%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 4.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
National Assembly election last held on 6 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2012)
election results:
percent
of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 73, ADF-RDA 14, UPR 5,
UNIR-MS 4, CFD-B 3, UPS 2, PDP-PS 2, RDB 2, PDS 2, PAREN 1, PAI 1, RPC
1, UDPS 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders:
African Democratic
Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF-RDA [Gilbert
OUEDRAOGO]; Citizen's Popular Rally or RPC [Antoine QUARE]; Coalition of
Democratic Forces of Burkina or CFD-B [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO];
Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE];
Democratic and Popular Rally or RDP [Nana THIBAUT]; Movement for
Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for
African Independence or PAI [Soumane TOURE]; Party for Democracy and
Progress-Socialist Party or PDP-PS [Ali LANKOANDE]; Party for Democracy
and Socialism or PDS [Felix SOUBEIGA]; Party for National Rebirth or
PAREN [Jeanne TRAORE]; Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB
[Antoine KARGOUGOU]; Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Ram
OUEDRAGO]; Republican Party for Integration and Solidarity or PARIS;
Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Fidele HIEN]; Union for
Rebirth - Sankarist Movement or UNIR-MS [Benewende STANISLAS]; Union
for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY]; Union of Sankarist
Parties or UPS [Ernest Nongma OUEDRAOGO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Burkinabe General
Confederation of Labor or CGTB [Tole SAGNON]; Burkinabe Movement for
Human Rights or MBDHP [Chrysigone ZOUGMORE]; Group of 14 February
[Benewende STANISLAS]; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or
CNTB [Laurent OUEDRAOGO]; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL
[Paul KABORE]
other:
watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities
mailing address:
01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440
telephone:
[226] 50-30-67-23
FAX:
[226] 50-30-38-90
Flag description:
two equal horizontal
bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the
center; red recalls the country's struggle for independence, green is
for hope and abundance,and yellow represents the country's mineral
wealth
note:uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy ::Burkina Faso
Economy - overview:
One of the poorest countries in the
world, landlocked Burkina Faso has few natural resources and a weak
industrial base. About 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence
agriculture, which is vulnerable to periodic drought. Cotton is the main
cash crop and the government has joined with three other cotton
producing countries in the region - Mali, Niger, and Chad - to lobby in
the World Trade Organization for fewer subsidies to producers in other
competing countries. Since 1998, Burkina Faso has embarked upon a
gradual but successful privatization of state-owned enterprises. Having
revised its investment code in 2004, Burkina Faso hopes to attract
foreign investors. Thanks to this new code and other legislation
favoring the mining sector, the country has seen an upswing in gold
exploration and production. While the bitter internal crisis in
neighboring Cote d'Ivoire is beginning to be resolved, it is still
having a negative effect on Burkina Faso's trade and employment. Burkina
Faso received a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) threshold grant
to improve girls' education at the primary school level, and signed an
MCC compact that focuses on the areas of infrastructure, agriculture,
and land reform in July 2008.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$18.79 billion (2009 est.)
25
$18.19 billion (2008 est.)
$17.29 billion (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$7.871 billion (2009 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
5.2% (2008 est.)
3.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,200 (2009 est.)
05
$1,200 (2008 est.)
$1,200 (2007 est.)
note:data are in 2009 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30.1%
industry:
20.7%
services:
49.2% (2009 est.)
Labor force:
6.668 million
note:a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2007)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90%
industry and services:
10% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
77% (2004)
97
Population below poverty line:
46.4% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Singapore 16.6%, Belgium 12.6%, China 11%, Thailand 8.9%, Ghana 6.8%, India 6.3%, Niger 5.1%, Denmark 4.8% (2008)
Imports:
$1.545 billion (2009 est.)
61
$1.431 billion (2008 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum
Imports - partners:
Cote dIvoire 26.7%, France 20%, Togo 8%, Libya 4.6% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.296 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
23
$927.6 million (31 December 2008 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.84 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
36
$1.665 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere
Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 481.35 (2009), 447.81 (2008),
493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005)
note:since
1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has been pegged to the
euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro; West African CFA franc
(XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in countries using Central
African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa, even though the two currencies
trade at par
Communications ::Burkina Faso
Telephones - main lines in use:
144,000 (2008)
33
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.553 million (2008)
14
Telephone system:
general assessment: system
includes microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone
communication stations; in 2006 the government sold a 51 percent stake
in the national telephone company and ultimately plans to retain only a
23 percent stake in the company
domestic:
fixed-line
connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
usage, fostered by multiple providers, is increasing rapidly from a low
base
international:
country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 26, shortwave 3 (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (1 national, 2 private)
Internet country code:
.bf
Internet hosts:
1,951 (2009)
50
Internet users:
140,000 (2008)
43
Transportation ::Burkina Faso
Airports:
26 (2009)
26
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 24
1,524 to 2,437 m:
4
914 to 1,523 m:
13
under 914 m:
7 (2009)
Railways:
total: 622 km
09
narrow gauge:
622 km 1.000-m gauge
note:another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire (2008)
Roadways:
total: 92,495 km
country comparison to the world: 53
paved:
3,857 km
unpaved:
88,638 km (2004)
Military ::Burkina Faso
Military branches:
Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso, FABF), National Gendarmerie (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in supporting roles (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,608,963 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,280,776
females age 16-49:
2,278,474 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 188,394
female:
185,975 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2006)
20
Transnational Issues ::Burkina Faso
Disputes - international:
in September 2007, Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened to attempt to
resolve the dispute over two villages along the Benin-Burkina Faso
border that remain from a 2005 ICJ decision; in recent years citizens
and rogue security forces rob and harass local populations on both sides
of the poorly defined Burkina Faso-Niger border; despite the presence
of more than 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic
conflict continues to spread into neighboring states that can no longer
send their migrant workers to work in Ivorian cocoa plantations
