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.

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: 3,193 km
Border countries: (6) Benin 306 km; , Cote d'Ivoire 584 km; , Ghana 549 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 phosphates pumice salt

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

Irrigated land: 250 km² (2003)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts

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

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 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 2.997% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: 46.4% (2003)

Nationality
Noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)
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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 46.7% (male 3,356,737/female 3,327,058)
15-64 years: 50.9% (male 3,635,152/female 3,650,303)
65 years and over: 2.5% (male 141,554/female 215,399) (2007 est.)

Median age
Total: 16.5 years
Male: 16.3 years
Female: 16.7 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.997% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 45.28 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 15.31 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.009 male/female
15-64 years: 0.996 male/female
65 years and over: 0.657 male/female
Total population: 0.992 male/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 89.79 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 97.55 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 81.8 deaths/1000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 49.21 years
Male: 47.68 years
Female: 50.8 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.41 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 4.2% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 300,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 29,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 21.8%
Male: 29.4%
Female: 15.2% (2003 est.)

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

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; last amended January 2002

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
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 13 November 2005 (next to be held in 2010); in April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005; prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature
Election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.3%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 4.9%

Legislative branch
Elections: National Assembly election last held 6 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 73, RDA-ADF 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; Confederation for Federation and Democracy or CFD [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Convention of the Democratic Forces of Burkina or CFD-B; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and Progress/Socialist Party or PDP/PS [Ali LANKOANDE]; Party for Democracy and Socialism or PDS; Party for National Rebirth or PAREN; Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB; Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Ram OUEDRAGO]; Republican Party for Integration and Solidarity or PARIS [Cyril GOUNGOUNGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS; Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Movement or UNIR-MS; Union for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY]; Union of Sankarist Parties or UPS

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Tertius ZONGO
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 Jeanine E. JACKSON
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, 50-31-23-68

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 landlocked Burkina Faso 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 and the government has joined with three other cotton producing countries in the region - Mali Niger and Chad - to lobby for improved access to Western markets. GDP growth has largely been driven by increases in world cotton prices. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations. Following the CFA franc currency devaluation in January 1994 the government updated its development program in conjunction with international agencies; exports and economic growth have increased. The government devolved macroeconomic policy and inflation targeting to the West African regional central bank (BCEAO) but maintains control over fiscal and microeconomic policies including implementing reforms to encourage private investment. The bitter internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire continues to hurt trade and industrial prospects and deepens the need for international assistance. Burkina Faso is eligible for a Millennium Challenge Account grant which would increase investment in the country's human capital.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $18.94 billion (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6.4% (2006 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1400 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 30%
Industry: 19%
Services: 51% (2006 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: 14% (2001 est.)

Labor force
Note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003)
By occupation agriculture: 90%
By occupation industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: 46.4% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.8%
Highest 10: 32.2% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index: 39.5 (2003)

Budget
Revenues: $1.088 billion
Expenditures: $1.36 billion (2006 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.3% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $-629 million (2006 est.)

Exports: $606 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: cotton livestock gold
Partners: China 41.9% Singapore 14.4% Ghana 5.9% Thailand 4.9% Niger 4.4% (2006)

Imports: $1.188 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Commodities: capital goods foodstuffs petroleum
Partners: Cote d'Ivoire 22.9% France 20.1% Zimbabwe 11.4% Togo 6.3% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $554.9 million (2006 est.)

Debt external: $1.85 billion (2003)

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006) 527.47 (2005) 528.29 (2004) 581.2 (2003) 696.99 (2002)

Electricity
Production: 516.2 million kWh (2005)
Consumption: 480.1 million kWh (2005)
Exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Imports: 0 kWh (2005)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2005 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 94,800 (2006)
Mobile cellular: 1.017 million (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: services only fair; 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; fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, fostered by multiple providers, is increasing and stands at about 7 per 100 persons
Domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations
International: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Internet
Country code: .bf
Hosts: 193 (2007)
Users: 80,000 (2006)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 1.2% (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Airports: 33 (2007)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 31
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 17 (2007)

Railways
Total: 622 km
Narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge
Note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire (2006)

Roadways
Total: 15,272 km
Paved: 4,766 km
Unpaved: 10,506 km (2004)

Disputes international: two villages remain in dispute along the border with Benin; Benin accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; 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 over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004 ethnic conflict continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send their migrant workers to work in Ivorian cocoa plantations