Statistical information Burkina Faso 1997

Burkina Faso in the World
top of pageBackground: Independence from France came to Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) in 1960. Governmental instability during the 1970s and 1980s was followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Several hundred thousand farm workers migrate south every year to Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.
top of pageLocation: Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 2 00 W
Map reference:
AfricaAreaTotal: 274,200 km²
Land: 273,800 km²
Water: 400 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Colorado
Land boundariesTotal: 3,192 km
Border countries: (6) Benin 306 km;
, Ghana 548 km;
, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km;
, Mali 1,000 km;
, Niger 628 km;
, Togo 126 kmCoastline: 0 km (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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Black Volta River 200 m
Extremes highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m
Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver
Land useArable land: 13%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 22%
Forests and woodland: 50%
Other: 15% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 200 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: recurring droughts
GeographyNote: landlocked
top of pagePopulation: 10,891,159 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 2.45% (1997 est.)
NationalityNoun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)
Adjective: Burkinabe
Ethnic groups: Mossi about 24%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani
Languages: French (official), tribal languages belonging to Sudanic family, spoken by 90% of the population
Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 years: 48% (male 2,636,509; female 2,602,984)
15-64 years: 49% (male 2,515,266; female 2,799,542)
65 years and over: 3% (male 146,267; female 190,591) (July 1997 est.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 2.45% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 46.43 births/1000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 20.33 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.58 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 116.6 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 42.29 years
Male: 42.45 years
Female: 42.12 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.72 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 19.2%
Male: 29.5%
Female: 9.2% (1995 est.)
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Burkina Faso
Former: Upper Volta
Government type: parliamentary
Capital: Ouagadougou
Administrative divisions: 30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houe, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Yatenga, Zoundweogo
Dependent areasIndependence: 5 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)
Constitution: 2 June 1991
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: none
Executive branchChief of state: President Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kadre' De'sire' OUE'DRAOGO (since 6 February 1996)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 1998); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature
Election results: Blaise COMPAORE elected president with 90.4% percent of the votes of those who voted (the abstention rate was 74.7%)
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of People's Deputies or Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (111 seats; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held 11 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 97, PDP 6, RDA 2, ADF 2; note - 4 contested seats are to be filled in special election on 19 June 1997 by order of the Supreme Court
Note: the current law also provides for a second consultative chamber, which has not been formally constituted
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Gaetan R. OUEDRAOGO
In the us chancery: 2,340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-5,577, 6,895
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Sharon P. WILKINSON (16 July 1996)
From the us embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou
From the us mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou
From the us telephone: [226] 306,723 through 306,725
From the us FAX: [226] 303,890
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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has a high population density and a high population growth rate, few natural resources, and a fragile soil. Over 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture which is highly vulnerable to variations in rainfall. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations. Following the African franc currency devaluation in January 1994 the government updated its development program in conjunction with international agencies, and exports and economic growth have increased.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 5.4% (1996 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $740 (1996 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 31%
Industry: 25%
Services: 44% (1994 est.)
Agriculture products: peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock
Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
Industrial production growth rate: 1% (1994)
Labor force: NA (most adults are employed in subsistence agriculture)
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation commerce services and government: 5%
Note: 20% of male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (1984)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $483 million
Expenditures: $548 million, including capital expenditures of $189 million (1992)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExportsTotal value: $298 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
Commodities: cotton, gold, animal products
Partners: Cote d'Ivoire, France, Italy, Thailand
ImportsTotal value: $500 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
Commodities: machinery, food products, petroleum
Partners: Cote d'Ivoire, France, Togo, Nigeria
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $1.1 billion (December 1994 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 541.69 (January 1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992)
Note: beginning 12 January 1994 the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 121,000 kW (1991)
Production: 320 million kWh (1991)
Consumption per capita: 28 kWh (1992 est.)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 21,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: all services only fair
Domestic: microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communication stations
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $104 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 6.4% (1994)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 22 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 10
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 8 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 12
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 9 (1996 est.)
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysTotal: 622 km (517 km from Ouagadougou to the Cote d'Ivoire border and 105 km from Ouagadougou to Kaya)
Narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)
RoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs