1997 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1997 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total: 274,200 sq km land : 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly larger than Colorado
Climate
tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation extremes
lowest point : Black Volta River 200 m highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m
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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified : Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Geographic coordinates
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Geography - note
landlocked
Irrigated land
200 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 3,192 km border countries: Benin 306 km, Ghana 548 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
Land use
arable land: 13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 22% forests and woodland: 50% other : 15% (1993 est.)
Location
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
recurring droughts
Natural resources
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver
Terrain
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,636,509; female 2,602,984) 15-64 years : 49% (male 2,515,266; female 2,799,542) 65 years and over: 3% (male 146,267; female 190,591) (July 1997 est.)
Birth rate
46.43 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate
20.33 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Ethnic groups
Mossi about 24%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani
Infant mortality rate
116.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Languages
French (official), tribal languages belonging to Sudanic family, spoken by 90% of the population
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 42.29 years male: 42.45 years female : 42.12 years (1997 est.)
Literacy
definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 19.2% male: 29.5% female: 9.2% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural) adjective: Burkinabe
Net migration rate
-1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Population
10,891,159 (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate
2.45% (1997 est.)
Religions
indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate
6.72 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houe, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Yatenga, Zoundweogo
Constitution
2 June 1991
Country name
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Burkina Faso former: Upper Volta
Data code
UV
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Sharon P. WILKINSON (16 July 1996) embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou telephone: [226] 306723 through 306725
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission : Ambassador Gaetan R. OUEDRAOGO chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577, 6895
Executive branch
chief of state: President Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Kadre' De'sire' OUE'DRAOGO (since 6 February 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 1998); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature election results: Blaise COMPAORE elected president with 90.4% percent of the votes of those who voted (the abstention rate was 74.7%)
FAX
[226] 303890
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
Government type
parliamentary
Independence
5 August 1960 (from France)
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, 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, WToO, WTrO
Judicial branch
Supreme Court; Appeals Court
Legal system
based on French civil law system and customary law
Legislative branch
unicameral Assembly of People's Deputies or Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (111 seats; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms) elections : last held 11 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 97, PDP 6, RDA 2, ADF 2; note - 4 contested seats are to be filled in special election on 19 June 1997 by order of the Supreme Court note: the current law also provides for a second consultative chamber, which has not been formally constituted
National capital
Ouagadougou
National holiday
Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)
Political parties and leaders
Organization for People's Democracy - Labor Movement or ODP-MT (ruling party at time of 1992 elections but was subsumed, with about a dozen smaller parties, into the powerful CDP in February 1996); African Democratic Assembly or RDA [Gerard Kango OUEDRAOGO]; Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Burkinabe Socialist Bloc or BSB [Earnest Nongma OUEDRAOGO, president]; Burkinabe Environmentalist Party or UVDB; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Din Salif SAWADAGO] (the strongest party in the 1997 legislative elections); Front for Social Forces or FFS [Fide'le KIENTEGA]; National Convention of Progressive Patriots-Social Democratic Party or CNPP-PSD [Moussa BOLY] (not prominent in 1997); Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Joseph KI-ZERBO]; Party for Progress and Social Development or PPDS; Party for African Independence or PAI
Political pressure groups and leaders
committees for the defense of the revolution; watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities
Suffrage
none
Economy
Agriculture - products
peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock
Budget
revenues: $483 million expenditures : $548 million, including capital expenditures of $189 million (1992)
Currency
1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Debt - external
$1.1 billion (December 1994 est.)
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA
Economy - overview
One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has a high population density and a high population growth rate, few natural resources, and a fragile soil. Over 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture which is highly vulnerable to variations in rainfall. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations. Following the African franc currency devaluation in January 1994 the government updated its development program in conjunction with international agencies, and exports and economic growth have increased.
Electricity - capacity
121,000 kW (1991)
Electricity - consumption per capita
28 kWh (1992 est.)
Electricity - production
320 million kWh (1991)
Exchange rates
CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 541.69 (January 1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992) 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
Exports
total value : $298 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: cotton, gold, animal products partners: Cote d'Ivoire, France, Italy, Thailand
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity - $8 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 31% industry: 25% services: 44% (1994 est.)
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $740 (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
5.4% (1996 est.)
Imports
total value: $500 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities : machinery, food products, petroleum partners: Cote d'Ivoire, France, Togo, Nigeria
Industrial production growth rate
1% (1994)
Industries
cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
Inflation rate - consumer price index
7.8% (1995)
Labor force
NA (most adults are employed in subsistence 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)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios
NA
Telephone system
all services only fair domestic: microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communication stations international : satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones
21,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations
2 (1987 est.)
Televisions
49,000 (1991 est.)
Transportation
Airports
22 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 10 over 3,047 m : 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 8 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 9 (1996 est.)
Highways
total: 12,506 km paved : 2,001 km unpaved: 10,505 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors
none
Railways
total: 622 km (517 km from Ouagadougou to the Cote d'Ivoire border and 105 km from Ouagadougou to Kaya) narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, People's Militia
Military expenditures - dollar figure
$104 million (1994)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
6.4% (1994)
Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 2,219,544 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service
males: 1,137,882 (1997 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
none ______________________________________________________________________ BURMA