Map of Burkina Faso | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


Background: 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.


top of page


Location: Western Africa north of Ghana

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N 2 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 274,200 km²
Rank: 74
Land: 273,800 km²
Water: 400 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Colorado

Land boundaries
Total: 3,193 km
Border countries: (6) Benin 306 km; Cote d'Ivoire 584 km; Ghana 549 km; Mali 1000 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 River 200 m
Extremes highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m

Natural resources: manganese limestone marble; small deposits of gold phosphates pumice salt

Land use
Arable land: 17.66%
Permanent crops: 0.22%
Other: 82.12% (2005)

Irrigated land: 250 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 17.5 km³ (2001)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black Red and White Voltas


top of page


Population: 16,241,811
Rank: 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.)
Growth rate: 3.095% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 12
Below poverty line: 46.4% (2004)

Nationality
Noun: Burkinabe
Adjective: Burkinabe

Ethnic groups: Mossi over 40% other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi Senufo Lobi Bobo Mande and Fulani)

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 46.2%
15-64 years: 51.3% (male 4,025,917/female 4,054,865)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 156,895/female 240,246) (2010 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 16.8 years
Male: 16.6 years
Female: 17 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.095% (2010 est.)
Rank: 12

Birth rate: 43.98 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 5

Death rate: 13.02 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 23

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 80

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 20% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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 Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Life Conservation Ozone Layer Protection Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/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.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 82.98 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 12
Male: 90.53 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 75.21 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 53.32 years
Rank: 203
Male: 51.39 years
Female: 55.31 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.21 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 6

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.6% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 38
People living with hivaids: 130,000 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 40
Deaths: 9,200 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 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)

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 4.6% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 86

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: 6 years
Male: 7 years
Female: 6 years (2009)

Youth unemployment


top of page


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)

Administrative divisions: 45 provinces; Bale Bam Banwa Bazega Bougouriba Boulgou Boulkiemde Comoe Ganzourgou Gnagna Gourma Houet Ioba Kadiogo Kenedougou Komondjari Kompienga Kossi Koulpelogo Kouritenga Kourweogo Leraba Loroum Mouhoun Nahouri Namentenga Nayala Noumbiel Oubritenga Oudalan Passore Poni Sanguie Sanmatenga Seno Sissili Soum Sourou Tapoa Tuy Yagha Yatenga Ziro Zondoma Zoundweogo

Dependent areas

Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Republic Day 11 December (1958); note - commemorates the day that Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community

Constitution: 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE
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 21 November 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature
Election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.2% Hama Arba DIALLO 8.2% Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 6.3%

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]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU ECOWAS Entente FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MONUSCO NAM OIC OIF OPCW PCA UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNITAR UNMIS UNWTO UPU WADB (regional) WAEMU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Paramanga Ernest YONLI
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 Thomas DOUGHERTY
From the us embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau Koulouba Secteur 4
From the us mailing address: 01 B. P. 35 Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State 2,440 Ouagadougou Place Washington DC 20,521-2,440
From the us telephone: [226] 50-30-67-23
From the us 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 abundanceand yellow represents the country's mineral wealth
Note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National symbols

National anthem
Name: 'Le Ditanye'
Lyricsmusic: Thomas SANKARA
Note: adopted 1974; also known as 'Une Seule Nuit' (One Single Night) Burkina Faso's anthem was written by the country's president an avid guitar player

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Burkina Faso is a poor landlocked country that relies heavily on cotton and gold exports for revenue. The country 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. Since 1998 Burkina Faso has embarked upon a gradual privatization of state-owned enterprises and in 2004 revised its investment code to attract foreign investment. As a result of this new code and other legislation favoring the mining sector the country has seen an upswing in gold exploration and production. By 2010 gold had become the main source of export revenue.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 124
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 50

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 204
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 30.1%
Industry: 20.7%
Services: 49.2% (2009 est.)

Agriculture products: cotton peanuts shea nuts sesame sorghum millet corn rice; livestock

Industries: cotton lint beverages agricultural processing soap cigarettes textiles gold

Industrial production growth rate: 5.5% (2010 est.)
Rank: 59

Labor force: 6.668 million
Rank: 64
Note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2007)
By occupation agriculture: 90%
By occupation industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 77% (2004)
Rank: 197

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 46.4% (2004)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.8%
Highest 10: 32.2% (2004)

Distribution of family income gini index: 48.2 (1994)
Rank: 64

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.6% (2009 est.)
Rank: 32

Central bank discount rate: 4.75% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 103

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

Stock of narrow money: $1.303 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Rank: 127

Stock of broad money: $2.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 139

Stock of domestic credit: $1.236 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 138

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$330 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 115

Exports: $772 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 151
Commodities: cotton livestock gold
Partners: Singapore 16.76% Belgium 12.78% China 7.59% Ghana 6.89% India 6.36% Denmark 5.76% Niger 5.13% Thailand 4.52% (2009)

Imports: $1.186 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 162
Commodities: capital goods foodstuffs petroleum
Partners: Cote d'Ivoire 24.31% France 19.48% Togo 6.42% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.296 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 105

Debt external: $1.784 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 139

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 506.04 (2010) 472.19 (2009) 447.81 (2008) 493.51 (2007) 522.59 (2006)


top of page


Electricity
Production: 611.6 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 155
Consumption: 568.8 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 158
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 191
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 115
Exports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 197
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 75
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 198

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 167,000 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 132
Mobile cellular: 3.299 million (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 109

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) (2009)

Broadcast media: 2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately-owned; state-owned radio runs a national and regional network; substantial number of privately-owned radio broadcast stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters available in Ouagadougou (2007)

Internet
Country code: .bf
Hosts: 1877 (2010)
Hosts rank: 155
Users: 178,100 (2009)
Users rank: 144

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures: 1.2% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 120

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in supporting roles (2009)

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 24 (2010)
Rank: 132
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 22
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 6 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 622 km
Rank: 109
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
Rank: 53
Paved: 3,857 km
Unpaved: 88,638 km (2004)

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


top of page


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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs