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. Former President Blaise COMPAORE (1987-2014) resigned in late October 2014 following popular protests against his efforts to amend the constitution's two-term presidential limit. An interim administration organized presidential and legislative elections - finally held in November 2015 - where Roch Marc Christian KABORE was elected president. The country experienced terrorist attacks in its capital in 2016, 2017, and 2018 and continues to mobilize resources to counter terrorist threats. Burkina Faso's high population growth, recurring drought, pervasive and perennial food insecurity, and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.

Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 2 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 274,200 km²
Land: 273,800 km²
Water: 400 km²
Rank: 76
Comparative: slightly larger than Colorado

Land boundaries
Total: 3,611 km
Border countries: (6) Benin 386 km; , Cote dIvoire 545 km; , Ghana 602 km; , Mali 1325 km; , Niger 622 km; , Togo 131 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (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
Mean elevation: 297 m
Elevation extremes: 200 m
Note: lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 43% (2011 est.)
Forest: 20.4% (2011 est.)
Other: 36.6% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 550 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts

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

Population
Distribution: the population is concentrated in the central and southern parts of the country; the east, north, and southwest are less populated:
Rank: 61
Growth rate: 2.76% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 12
Below poverty line: 40.1% (2009 est.)

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

Ethnic groups: Mossi 52%, Fulani 8.4%, Gurma 7%, Bobo 4.9%, Gurunsi 4.6%, Senufo 4.5%, Bissa 3.7%, Lobi 2.4%, Dagara 2.4%, Tuareg/Bella 1.9%, Dioula 0.8%, unspecified/no answer 0.3%, other 7.2% (2010 est.)

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

Religions: Muslim 61.5%, Roman Catholic 23.3%, traditional/animist 7.8%, Protestant 6.5%, other/no answer 0.2%, none 0.7% (2010 est.)

Demographic profile: Burkina Faso has a young age structure - the result of declining mortality combined with steady high fertility - and continues to experience rapid population growth, which is putting increasing pressure on the country’s limited arable land. More than 65% of the population is under the age of 25, and the population is growing at 3% annually. Mortality rates, especially those of infants and children, have decreased because of improved health care, hygiene, and sanitation, but women continue to have an average of almost 6 children. Even if fertility were substantially reduced, today’s large cohort entering their reproductive years would sustain high population growth for the foreseeable future. Only about a third of the population is literate and unemployment is widespread, dampening the economic prospects of Burkina Faso’s large working-age population.Migration has traditionally been a way of life for Burkinabe, with seasonal migration being replaced by stints of up to two years abroad. Cote d’Ivoire remains the top destination, although it has experienced periods of internal conflict. Under French colonization, Burkina Faso became a main labor source for agricultural and factory work in Cote d’Ivoire. Burkinabe also migrated to Ghana, Mali, and Senegal for work between the world wars. Burkina Faso attracts migrants from Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mali, who often share common ethnic backgrounds with the Burkinabe. Despite its food shortages and high poverty rate, Burkina Faso has become a destination for refugees in recent years and hosts about 33,500 Malians as of May 2017.

Age structure
0-14 years: 44.28% (male 4,434,908 /female 4,307,438)
15-24 years: 20.19% (male 1,980,755 /female 2,004,763)
25-54 years: 28.82% (male 2,639,235 /female 3,051,333)
55-64 years: 3.55% (male 304,642 /female 396,072)
65 years and over: 3.16% (male 273,031 /female 350,538) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 92.2 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 87.6 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.6 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 21.6 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 17.4 years
Male: 16.6 years
Female: 18.2 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 218

Population growth rate: 2.76% (2018 est.)
Rank: 12

Birth rate: 36.9 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 14

Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 72

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 76

Population distribution: the population is concentrated in the central and southern parts of the country; the east, north, and southwest are less populated

Urbanization
Urban population: 29.4% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 4.99% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 2.531 million OUAGADOUGOU (capital), 879,000 Bobo-Dioulasso (2018)

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: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.77 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Infant mortality rate
Total: 54.7 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 59.2 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 50 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 21

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 61.8 years (2018 est.)
Male: 60.1 years (2018 est.)
Female: 63.6 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 202

Total fertility rate: 4.77 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 19

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 25.4% (2016/17)

Drinking water source
Urban: 2.5% of population
Rural: 24.2% of population
Total: 17.7% of population (2015 est.)

Physicians density: 0.05 physicians/1000 population (2012)

Hospital bed density: 0.4 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 49.6% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 93.3% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 80.3% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.8% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 50
People living with hivaids: 94,000 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 45
Deaths: 2,900 (2017 est.)
Deaths rank: 40

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever (2016)
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016)
Animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)
Respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5.6% (2016)
Rank: 175

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 19.2% (2016)
Rank: 27

Education expenditures: 4.2% of GDP (2015)
Rank: 105

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 36% (2015 est.)
Male: 43% (2015 est.)
Female: 29.3% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years (2013)
Male: 8 years (2013)
Female: 7 years (2013)

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
Etymology: name translates as Land of the Honest (Incorruptible) Men

Government type: presidential 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: 13 regions; Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Centre, Centre-Est, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Hauts-Bassins, Nord, Plateau-Central, Sahel, Sud-Ouest

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
History: several previous; latest approved by referendum 2 June 1991, adopted 11 June 1991, temporarily suspended late October to mid-November 2014 (2017)
Amendments: proposed by the president, by a majority of National Assembly membership, or by petition of at least 30,000 eligible voters submitted to the Assembly; passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote in the Assembly; failure to meet that threshold requires majority voter approval in a referendum; constitutional provisions on the form of government, the multiparty system, and national sovereignty cannot be amended; amended several times, last in 2012 (2017)

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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Burkina Faso
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Roch Marc Christian KABORE (since 29 December 2015)
Head of government: Prime Minister Paul Kaba THIEBA (since 6 January 2016)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second); election last held on 29 November 2015 (next to be held November 2020); prime minister appointed by the president with consent of the National Assembly
Election results: Roch Marc Christian KABORE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Roch Marc Christian KABORE (MPP) 53.5%, Zephirin DIABRE (UPC) 29.6%, Tahirou BARRY (PAREN) 3.1%. Benewende Stanislas SANKARA (UNIR-MS) 2.8%, other 10.9%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly (127 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 29 November 2015 (next to be held in 2020)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPP 55, UPC 33, CDP 18, Union for Rebirth-Sankarist Party 5, ADF/RDA 3, NTD 3, other 10; composition - men 115, women 12, percent of women 9.4%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (consists of NA judges); Council of State (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of the council president and 9 members)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judge appointments mostly controlled by the president of Burkina Faso; judges have no term limits; Council of State judge appointment and tenure NA; Constitutional Council judges appointed by the president of Burkina Faso upon the proposal of the minister of justice and the president of the National Assembly; judges appointed for 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years
Subordinate courts: Appeals Court; High Court; first instance tribunals; district courts; specialized courts relating to issues of labor, children, and juveniles; village (customary) courts

Political parties and leaders: African Democratic Rally/Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF/RDA [Gilbert Noel OUEDRAOGO]African People’s Movement or MAP [Victorien TOUGOUMA]Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Eddie KOMBOIGO]Le Faso Autrement [Ablasse OUEDRAOGO]New Alliance of the Faso or NAFA [Mahamoudou DICKO]New Time for Democracy or NTD [Vincent DABILGOU]Organization for Democracy and Work or ODT [Anatole BONKOUNGOU]Party for Development and Change or PDC [Aziz SEREME]Party for Democracy and Progress-Socialist Party or PDP-PS [Drabo TORO]Party for Democracy and Socialism/Metba or PDS/Metba [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]Party for National Renaissance or PAREN [Michel BERE]People's Movement for Progress or MPP [Simon COMPAORE]Rally for Democracy and Socialism or RDS [Francois OUEDRAOGO]Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB [Celestin Saidou COMPAORE]Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Adama SERE]Union for a New Burkina or UBN [Diemdioda DICKO]Union for Progress and Change or UPC [Zephirin DIABRE]Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Party or UNIR-MS [Benewende Stanislas SANKARA]Union for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY]Youth Alliance for the Republic and Independence or AJIR [Adama KANAZOE]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Seydou KABORE (since 18 January 2017)
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 Andrew YOUNG (since 1 December 2016)
From the us embassy: Rue 15.873, Avenue Sembene Ousmane, Ouaga 2000, Secteur 15
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] 25-49-53-00
From the us FAX: [226] 25-49-56-28

Flag description:

National symbols: white stallion; national colors: red, yellow, green

National anthem
Name: Le Ditanye (Anthem of Victory)
Lyricsmusic: Thomas SANKARA: note: adopted 1974; also known as 'Une Seule Nuit' (One Single Night); written by the country's former president, an avid guitar player

Economy overview: Burkina Faso is a poor, landlocked country that depends on adequate rainfall. Irregular patterns of rainfall, poor soil, and the lack of adequate communications and other infrastructure contribute to the economy’s vulnerability to external shocks. About 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming and cotton is the main cash crop. The country has few natural resources and a weak industrial base.Cotton and gold are Burkina Faso’s key exports - gold has accounted for about three-quarters of the country’s total export revenues. Burkina Faso’s economic growth and revenue depends largely on production levels and global prices for the two commodities. The country has seen an upswing in gold exploration, production, and exports.In 2016, the government adopted a new development strategy, set forth in the 2016-2020 National Plan for Economic and Social Development, that aims to reduce poverty, build human capital, and to satisfy basic needs. A new three-year IMF program (2018-2020), approved in 2018, will allow the government to reduce the budget deficit and preserve critical spending on social services and priority public investments.While the end of the political crisis has allowed Burkina Faso’s economy to resume positive growth, the country’s fragile security situation could put these gains at risk. Political insecurity in neighboring Mali, unreliable energy supplies, and poor transportation links pose long-term challenges.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 126

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 31

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 211

Gross national saving:
Rank: 164

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 56.5% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 23.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 24.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 28.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -34.4% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 31% (2017 est.)
Industry: 23.9% (2017 est.)
Services: 44.9% (2017 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: 10.4% (2017 est.)
Rank: 14

Labor force:
Rank: 60
By occupation agriculture: 90%
By occupation industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 77% (2004)
Rank: 218

Population below poverty line: 40.1% (2009 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 32.2% (2009 est.)
Highest 10: 32.2% (2009 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 70

Budget
Revenues: 2.666 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 3.655 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -7.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 198

Taxes and other revenues: 21.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 143

Public debt:
Rank: 136

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 22

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 88

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 141

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 119

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 124

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 130

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 143

Exports:
Rank: 129
Partners: Switzerland 44.9%, India 15.6%, South Africa 11.3%, Cote dIvoire 4.9% (2017)
Commodities: gold, cotton, livestock

Imports:
Rank: 145
Commodities: capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum
Partners: China 13.2%, Cote dIvoire 9.5%, US 8.2%, Thailand 8.1%, France 6.5%, Ghana 4.4%, Togo 4.4%, India 4.3% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 186

Debt external:
Rank: 142

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access population without electricity: 14.1 million (2013)
Access electrification total population: 17% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 56% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 1% (2013)
Production: 990 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 152
Consumption: 1.551 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 148
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 112
Imports: 630 million kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 77
Installed generating capacity: 342,400 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 153
Generation sources fossil fuels: 80% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 82
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 57
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 117
Generation sources other renewable sources: 12% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 72

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 115
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 100
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 102
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 112

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 124
Products consumption: 23,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 132
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 136
Products imports: 23,580 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 110

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 110
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 126
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 75
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 98
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 116

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 3.421 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 142

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 76,000 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines date: (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 145
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 17,946,375 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 89 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 62

Telephone system
General assessment: system includes microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations; with slow regulatory procedures, insufficient mobile spectrum, and poor condition of fixed-line networks the development of fixed-line internet services leave Burkina Faso with some of the most expensive telecommunications globally; mobile telephony has experienced growth, but below the African average; Burkina Faso joins G5 Sahel countries to stop roaming fees by 2019; govt. proposes technology-neutral licences to boost mobile broadband connectivity (2017)
Domestic: fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage 89 per 100, with multiple providers there is competion and the hope for growth from a low base; internet penetration is 11% countrywide, but higher in urban areas (2017)
International: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

Broadcast media: since the official inauguration of Terrestrial Digital Television (TNT) in December 2017, Burkina Faso now has 14 digital TV channels among which 2 are state-owned; there are more than 140 radio stations (commercial, religious, community) available throughout the country including a national and regional state-owned network; the state-owned Radio Burkina and the private Radio Omega are among the most widespread stations and both include broadcasts in French and local languages (2018)

Internet
Country code: .bf
Users total: 2,723,950 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 14% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 99

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 14,067 (2017 est.)
Date: (2017 est.)
Rank: 164

Military expenditures:
Rank: 94

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may serve in supporting roles (2013)

Terrorist groups
Home based Ansarul Islam:
Home based Islamic State of Iraq and ashsham networks in the Greater Sahara: aim(s): replace regional governments with an Islamic statearea(s) of operation: mostly concentrated in the Mali-Burkina Faso-Niger tri-border region; targets primarily security forces (December 2018)
Foreign based alMulathamun Battalion: aim(s): replace several African governments, including Burkina Fasos government, with an Islamic statearea(s) of operation: engages in kidnappings for ransom and violent activities across the country, including in the capital Ouagadougou (November 2018)
Foreign based alQaidaaffiliated Jamaat Nusrat alIslam walMuslimin:

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 122,589 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 55,868
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: XT (2016)

Airports: 23 (2013)
Rank: 134
With paved runways total: 2 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 21 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 5 (2013)

Railways
Total: 622 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 622 km
Note: 1.000-m gauge (2014): note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire
Rank: 108

Roadways
Total: 15,272 km (2010): note: does not include urban roads
Rank: 124

Disputes international: adding to illicit cross-border activities, Burkina Faso has issues concerning unresolved boundary alignments with its neighborsdemarcation is currently underway with Mali; the dispute with Niger was referred to the ICJ in 2010, and a dispute over several villages with Benin persistsBenin retains a border dispute with Burkina Faso around the town of Koualou

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 24,586 (Mali) (2018)
IDPs: 39,731 (2018)