Edition 2003 — Burkina Faso

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, Namentenga, Nahouri, Nayala, Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondoma, Zoundweogo

Age structure

0-14 years: 46.1% (male 3,057,855; female 3,036,705) 15-64 years: 51% (male 3,296,726; female 3,455,817) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 161,914; female 219,443) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock

Airports

33 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total: 2

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 17 (2002) Military Burkina Faso

Area

land: 273,800 sq km
total: 274,200 sq km
water: 400 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Colorado

Background

Independence from France came to Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Every year, several hundred thousand seasonal farm workers seek employment in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana and are adversely affected by instability in those regions. Geography Burkina Faso

Birth rate

44.78 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
revenues: $316 million

Capital

Ouagadougou

Climate

tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Constitution

2 June 1991 approved by referendum; 11 June 1991 formally adopted

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Burkina Faso
former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code

XOF

Death rate

18.76 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$1.3 billion (2000)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony HOLMES
embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4
mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - U. S. Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440
telephone: [226] 306723

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
chief of mission: Ambassador Tertius ZONGO

Disputes - international

two villages are in dispute along the border with Benin; Burkina Faso border regions have become a staging area for Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire rebels and an asylum for refugees caught in regional fighting; the Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso of supporting Ivorian rebels This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Distribution of family income - Gini index

48.2 (1994)

Economic aid - recipient

$484.1 million (1995)

Economy - overview

One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has few natural resources, a fragile soil, and a highly unequal distribution of income. About 90% of the population is engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture, which is 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. Maintenance of macroeconomic progress depends on continued low inflation, reduction in the trade deficit, and reforms designed to encourage private investment. The internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire continues to hurt trade and industrial prospects and deepens the need for international assistance.

Electricity - consumption

259.6 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

279.2 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 69.9%
hydro: 30.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m
lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 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, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Ethnic groups

Mossi over 40%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president with 87.5% percent of the vote
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 15 November 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); in April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005, and allowing the president to be reelected only once; it is unclear whether this amendment will be applied retroactively or not; prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature
head of government: Prime Minister Ernest Paramanga YONLI (since 6 November 2000)
note: President COMPAORE faces an increasingly well-coordinated opposition; recent charges against a former member of his Presidential Guard in the 1998 assassination of a newspaper editor signify an attempt to defuse chronic areas of dissatisfaction

Exports

$250 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

cotton, livestock, gold

Exports - partners

Singapore 14.7%, Italy 11.3%, Colombia 8.6%, France 7.7%, India 6.9%, Ghana 6%, Japan 4.4%, Thailand 4.3% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 667-1882; [226] 303890
telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Burkina Faso

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 Burkina Faso

GDP

purchasing power parity - $14.51 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 35%
industry: 17%
services: 48% (2001)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.6% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

13 00 N, 2 00 W

Geography - note

landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas People Burkina Faso

Government type

parliamentary republic

Highways

paved: 2,001 km
total: 12,506 km
unpaved: 10,505 km (1999)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

6.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

44,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

440,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%: 46.8% (1994)
lowest 10%: 2%

Imports

$525 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum

Imports - partners

France 27.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 23%, Togo 4.3% (2002)

Independence

5 August 1960 (from France)

Industrial production growth rate

14% (2001 est.)

Industries

cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold

Infant mortality rate

female: 91.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 107.87 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 99.78 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.5% (2001 est.)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Internet country code

.bf

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2002)

Internet users

25,000 (2002) Transportation Burkina Faso

Irrigated land

250 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Appeals Court

Labor force

5 million
note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2002)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 90% (2000 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
total: 3,193 km

Land use

arable land: 12.43%
other: 87.39% (1998 est.)
permanent crops: 0.18%

Languages

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

Legal system

based on French civil law system and customary law

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDP 57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5, PAI 5, others 17
elections: National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007)

Life expectancy at birth

female: 45.94 years (2003 est.)
male: 43.02 years
total population: 44.46 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
female: 16.6% (2003 est.) Government Burkina Faso
male: 36.9%
total population: 26.6%

Location

Western Africa, north of Ghana

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female: 17.2 years (2002)
male: 16.4 years
total: 16.8 years

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$45.83 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (FY02) Transnational Issues Burkina Faso

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,957,710 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,506,944 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Republic Day, 11 December (1958)

Nationality

adjective: Burkinabe
noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)

Natural hazards

recurring droughts

Natural resources

manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

8,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or RDA-ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Confederation for Federation and Democracy or CFD [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Joseph KI-ZERBO]; Union of Greens for the Development of Burkina Faso or UVDB [Ram OVEDRAGO]

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

Population

13,228,460
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 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

45% (2001 est.)

Population growth rate

2.6% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

none

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 3 (2002)

Radios

394,020 (2000)

Railways

narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge note:: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire (2002)
total: 622 km

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female

Suffrage

universal

Telephone system

domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations
general assessment: all services only fair
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

53,200 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

25,200 (2000)

Television broadcast stations