Map of Burkina Faso | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: Independence from France came to Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) in 1960. Governmental instability causes several hundred thousand farm workers migrate south every year to Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: 3,192 km total; Benin 306 km, Ghana 548 km, Ivory Coast 584 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km

Coastline: none--landlocked

Maritime claims: none--landlocked

Climate: tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Terrain: mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast

Elevation

Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver

Land use: 10% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 37% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 27% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: landlocked Burkina Burkina Burkina geoad2


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Population: 9,077,828 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Burkinabe; adjective--Burkinabe

Ethnic groups: more than 50 tribes; principal tribe is Mossi (about 2.5 million; other important groups are Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani

Languages: French (official; tribal languages belong to Sudanic family, spoken by 90% of the population

Religions: 65% indigenous beliefs, about 25% Muslim, 10% Christian (mainly Roman Catholic)

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 50 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 17 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: recent droughts and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities, population distribution, economy; overgrazing; deforestation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 121 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 52 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 7.2 children born/woman (1990)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 13.2%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Burkina Faso

Government type: military; established by coup on 4 August 1983

Capital: Ouagadougou

Administrative divisions: 30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Yatenga, Zoundweogo

Dependent areas

Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France; formerly Upper Volta)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)

Constitution: none; constitution of 27 November 1977 was abolished following coup of 25 November 1980

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: none

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--Chairman of the Popular Front Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)

Legislative branch: Army, Air Force

Judicial branch: Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, EIB (associate), Entente, FAO, GATT, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, NAM, Niger River Commission, OAU, OCAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Paul Desire KABORE; Chancery at 2,340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 332-5,577 or 6,895; US--Ambassador David H. SHINN; Embassy at Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou (mailing address is B. P. 35, Ouagadougou; telephone p226o 30-67-23 through 25

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: One of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina has a high population density, few natural resources, and relatively infertile soil. Economic development is hindered by a poor communications network within a landlocked country. Agriculture provides about 40% of GDP and is entirely of a subsistence nature. Industry, dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations, accounted for 13% of GDP in 1985.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: cash crops--peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton; food crops--sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock; not self-sufficient in food grains

Industries: agricultural processing plants; brewery, cement, and brick plants; a few other small consumer goods enterprises

Industrial production growth rate: 7.1% (1985)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $422 million; expenditures $516 million, including capital expenditures of $25 million (1987)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $249 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: oilseeds, cotton, live animals, gold
Partners: EC 42% (France 30%, other 12%), Taiwan 17%, Ivory Coast 15% (1985)

Imports: $591 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: grain, dairy products, petroleum, machinery
Partners: EC 37% (France 23%, other 14%), Africa 31%, US 15% (1985)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $969 million (December 1988)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1--284.55 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)


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Electricity access

Electricity production

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 3.1% of GDP (1987)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 50 total, 43 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: the disputed international boundary between Burkina and Mali was submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both sides agreed to accept; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs