Burkina

Geography

Location: Western Africa, north of Ghana

Map references: Africa

Area:
total area: 274,200 sq km
land area: 273,800 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Colorado

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

International disputes: following mutual acceptance of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling in December 1986 on their international boundary dispute, Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger

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 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
natural hazards: recurring droughts
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Note: landlocked

People

Population: 10,422,828 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (female 2,488,662; male 2,517,245)
15-64 years: 49% (female 2,707,601; male 2,378,957)
65 years and over: 3% (female 184,578; male 145,785) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.79% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 48.05 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 18.22 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 116.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.6 years
male: 45.71 years
female: 47.51 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.88 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)
adjective: Burkinabe

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

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

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

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 18%
male: 28%
female: 9%

Labor force: NA (most adults are employed in subsistance agriculture)
by occupation: agriculture 80%, industry 15%, commerce, services, and government 5%
note: 20% of male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (1984)

Government

Names:
conventional long form: Burkina Faso
conventional short form: Burkina
former: Upper Volta

Digraph: UV

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)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
Assembly of People's Deputies: elections last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held 1997); 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 has not been formally constituted

Judicial branch: Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders: Organization for People's Democracy - Labor Movement (ODP-MT), ruling party, Simon COMPAORE, Secretary General; National Convention of Progressive Patriots-Social Democratic Party (CNPP-PSD), Moussa BOLY; African Democratic Rally (RDA), Gerard Kango OUEDRAOGO; Alliance for Democracy and Federation (ADF), Amadou Michel NANA

Other political or pressure groups: committees for the defense of the revolution; watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities

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

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gaetan R. OUEDRAOGO
chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577, 6895

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald J. McCONNELL
embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou
mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou
telephone: [226] 306723 through 306725
FAX: [226] 312368

Flag: 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 and a high population growth rate, few natural resources, and a fragile soil. Economic development is hindered by a poor communications network within a landlocked country. Agriculture provides about 40% of GDP and is mainly of a subsistence nature. Industry, dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations, accounts for about 15% of GDP. Following the 50% currency devaluation in January 1994, the government updated its development program in conjunction with international agencies. Even with the best of plans, however, the government faces formidable problems on all sides.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 0.4% (1993 est.)

National product per capita: $660 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.6% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $483 million
expenditures: $548 million, including capital expenditures of $189 million (1992)

Exports: $273 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: cotton, gold, animal products
partners: EC 42%, Cote d'Ivoire 11%, Taiwan 15% (1992)

Imports: $636 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: machinery, food products, petroleum
partners: EC 49%, Africa 24%, Japan 6% (1992)

External debt: $865 million (December 1991 est.)

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

Electricity:
capacity: 60,000 kW
production: 190 million kWh
consumption per capita: 17 kWh (1993)

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

Agriculture: 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

Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $113 million

Currency: 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1995), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990)
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

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railroads:
total: 620 km (520 km Ouagadougou to Cote d'Ivoire border and 100 km Ouagadougou to Kaya; single track)
narrow gauge: 620 km 1.000-m gauge

Highways:
total: 16,500 km
paved: 1,300 km
unpaved: improved earth 7,400 km; unimproved earth 7,800 km (1985)

Ports: none

Airports:
total: 48
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 26
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 4
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 16

Communications

Telephone system: NA telephones; all services only fair
local: NA
intercity: microwave radio relay, wire, and radio communication stations
international: 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 2
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, People's Militia

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,081,999; males fit for military service 1,065,605 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $104 million, 6.4% of GDP (1994)