Burkina Faso

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.)

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%

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

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

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.)

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.)

Disputes - international

none BURMA

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.)