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.

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 274,200 km²
Land: 273,800 km²

Land boundaries: total 3,192 km, Benin 306 km, Ghana 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 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

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

Land use
Arable land: 10%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 37%
Forest and woodland: 26%
Other: 27%

Irrigated land: 160 km² (1989 est.)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population: 10,134,661 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 2.81% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Burkinabe (singular and plural)

Ethnic groups: Mossi (about 2.5 million), Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani

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

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

Population growth rate: 2.81% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 48.42 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 18.2 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.08 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

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

Infant mortality rate: 118.3 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 47.03 years
Male: 46.18 years
Female: 47.9 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.94 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 18%
Male: 28%
Female: 9%

Country name
Conventional long form: Burkina Faso
Conventional short form: former:Upper Volta

Government type: parliamentary

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

Independence: 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

Suffrage: none

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987); election last held December 1991
Head of government: Prime Minister Roch KABORE (since March 1994)

Legislative branch: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, People's Militia
Assembly of People's Deputies: elections last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (107 total), ODP-MT 78, CNPP-PSD 12, RDA 6, ADF 4, other 7
Note: the current law also provides for a second consultative chamber, which had not been formally constituted as of 1 July 1992

Judicial branch: Appeals Court

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Donald J. McCONNELL
From the us chancery: 2,340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: [226] 30-67- 23 through 25
From the us embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou
From the us mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou
From the us FAX: [226] 31-23-68

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

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, accounts for about 15% of GDP.

Real gdp growth rate: 0.7% (1992)

Real gdp per capita: $700 (1993 est.)

Agriculture products: accounts for about 40% of GDP; cash crops - peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton; food crops - sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock; not self-sufficient in food grains

Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold mining and extraction

Industrial production growth rate: 6.7% (1992; accounts for about 15% of GDP

Labor force: NA (most adults are employed in subsistance agriculture; 52% of population is 15 years of age or older)
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation commerce services and government: 5%
By occupation note: 20% of male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (1984)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues:$483 million

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $300 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: cotton, gold, animal products
Partners: EC 42%, Cote d'Ivoire 11%, Taiwan 15%

Imports: $685 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodities: machinery, food products, petroleum
Partners: EC 49%, Africa 24%, Japan 6%

Debt external: $865 million (December 1991 est.)

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05 (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989)
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

Electricity
Capacity: 120,000 kW
Production: 320 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 40 kWh (1991)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA, NA% of GDP

Airports: 48
Usable: 38
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 2
With runways 1220-2439 m: 8

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