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 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.


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Location: Western Africa north of Ghana

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N 2 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 274,200 km²
Land: 273,800 km²
Water: 400 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Colorado

Land boundaries
Total: 3,192 km
Border countries: (6) Benin 306 km; , Cote d'Ivoire 584 km; , Ghana 548 km; , Mali 1,000 km; , Niger 628 km; , Togo 126 km

Coastline: 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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Mouhoun (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 use
Arable land: 13%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 22%
Forests and woodland: 50%
Other: 15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 200 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: recurring droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked


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Population
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 2.68% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)
Adjective: Burkinabe

Ethnic groups: Mossi over 40% Gurunsi Senufo Lobi Bobo Mande Fulani

Languages: French (official) native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population

Religions: indigenous beliefs 40% Muslim 50% Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 47.5% (male 2,937,285; female 2,892,107)
15-64 years: 49.59% (male 2,903,153; female 3,183,121)
65 years and over: 2.91% (male 150,688; female 205,935) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.68% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 44.79 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 17.05 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.97 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities population distribution and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 106.92 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 46.41 years
Male: 45.86 years
Female: 46.98 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.35 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 6.44% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: 350,000 (1999 est.)
Deaths: 43,000 (1999 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: 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 education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Burkina Faso
Former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta

Government type: parliamentary

Capital: Ouagadougou

Administrative divisions
Note: a new electoral code was approved by the National Assembly in January 1997; the number of administrative provinces was increased from 30 to 45 (Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komandjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koupelogo, Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala, Naumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Samentenga, Sanguie, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondomo, Zoundweogo), however, this change has not yet been confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names

Dependent areas

Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Republic Day 11 December (1958)

Constitution: 2 June 1991 approved by referendum; 11 June 1991 formally adopted

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
Head of government: Prime Minister Ernest Paramanga YONLI (since 6 November 2000)
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; the president may serve unlimited terms; election last held 15 November 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature
Election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president with 87.5% percent of the vote, 56% of voter turnout
Note: President COMPAORE faces an increasingly well-coordinated opposition; recent charges against a former member of his Presidential Guard in the 1998 assassination of a newspaper editor signify an attempt to defuse chronic areas of dissatisfaction

Legislative branch
Elections: National Assembly election last held 11 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDP 101, PDP 6, RDA 2, ADF 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders: African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or RDA-ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Noyabtigungu Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Joseph KI-ZERBO]; Union of Greens for the Development of Burkina Faso or UVDB [Ram OVEDRAGO]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB CCC ECA ECOWAS Entente FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO (subscriber) ITU MONUC NAM OAU OIC OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WADB WAEMU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Bruno ZIDOUEMBA
In the us chancery: 2,340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-5,577
In the us fax: [1] (202) 667-1882
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jimmy J. KOLKER
From the us embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follerau, Koulouba, Secteur 4, Ouagadougou
From the us mailing address: B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01
From the us telephone: [226] 306,723
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 symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: One of the poorest countries in the world landlocked Burkina Faso has a high population density few natural resources and a fragile soil. About 90% of the population is engaged in (mainly 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. Maintenance of its macroeconomic progress in 2001-02 depends on continued low inflation reduction in the trade deficit and reforms designed to encourage private investment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 26%
Industry: 27%
Services: 47% (1998)

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: 4.2% (1995)

Labor force
Note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment
By occupation: agriculture 90% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.2%
Highest 10: 39.5% (1994)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $277 million
Expenditures: $492 million, including capital expenditures of $233 million (1995 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.5% (2000 est.)

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: $220 million (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: cotton animal products gold
Partners: Italy 13% France 10% Indonesia 8% Thailand 7% (1999)

Imports: $610 million (f.o.b. 2000 est.)
Commodities: machinery food products petroleum
Partners: Cote d'Ivoire 30% France 28% Spain 3% Benelux 3% (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.3 billion (1997)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001) 711.98 (2000) 615.70 (1999) 589.95 (1998) 583.67 (1997) 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999 the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 285 million kWh (1999)
By source fossil fuel: 71.93%
By source hydro: 28.07%
By source nuclear: 0%
By source other: 0% (1999)

Electricity consumption: 265.1 million kWh (1999)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1999)

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: 1503 (1997)

Telephone system
General assessment: all services only fair
Domestic: microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communication stations
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet country code: .bf

Internet users: 4,000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $66 million (FY96)
Percent of gdp: 2% (FY96)

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: 33 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 31
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 16 (2000 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 2
Over 3047 m: 1
2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 31
15-24 to 2437 m: 3
914 to 1523 m: 12
Under 914 m: 16 (2000 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 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.)

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs