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.
Location
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references
Africa
Area
total
274,200 sq km
land
273,800 sq km
water
400 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly larger than Colorado
Land boundaries
total
3,193 km
border countries
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
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 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
recurring droughts
Environment - current issues
recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
Environment - 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
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas
Population
14,326,203
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.)
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/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
15.31 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.009 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.996 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.657 male(s)/female
total population
0.992 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
89.79 deaths/1,000 live births
male
97.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female
81.8 deaths/1,000 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.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
4.2% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
300,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - 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)
Nationality
noun
Burkinabe (singular and plural)
adjective
Burkinabe
Ethnic groups
Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani)
Religions
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
Languages
French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population
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)
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
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 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
Political pressure groups and leaders
Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP; Group of 14 February; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL; watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code
XOF
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)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
97,400 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
572,200 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
all services only fair
domestic
microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations
international
country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 3 (2001)
Radios
394,020 (2000)
Television broadcast stations
1 (2002)
Televisions
131,340 (2002)
Internet country code
.bf
Internet hosts
399 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2002)
Internet users
64,600 (2005)
Airports
34 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
2
over 3,047 m
1
2,438 to 3,047 m
1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
32
1,524 to 2,437 m
3
914 to 1,523 m
11
under 914 m
18 (2006)
Railways
total
622 km
narrow gauge
622 km 1.000-m gauge
note
: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire (2005)
Roadways
total
15,272 km
paved
4,766 km
unpaved
10,506 km (2004)
Military branches
Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso, FABF), National Gendarmerie (2006)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49: 2,651,687 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49: 1,530,324 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
1.2% (2006)
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
