Burkina Faso

Airports

total: 48 usable: 38 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 8

Highways

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

Railroads

620 km total; 520 km Ouagadougou to Cote d'Ivoire border and 100 km Ouagadougou to Kaya; all 1.00-meter gauge and single track

Telecommunications

all services only fair; microwave radio relay, wire, and radio communication stations in use; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 2,013,763; fit for military service 1,029,960

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

Budget

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

Currency

1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

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

Electricity

capacity: 120,000 kW production: 320 million kWh consumption per capita: 40 kWh (1991)

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05 (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989) 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

$300 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: cotton, gold, animal products partners: EC 42%, Cote d'Ivoire 11%, Taiwan 15%

External debt

$865 million (December 1991 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$685 million (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: machinery, food products, petroleum partners: EC 49%, Africa 24%, Japan 6%

Industrial production

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

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.8% (1992)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $7 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$700 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

0.7% (1992)

Overview

One of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina has a high population density, few natural resources, and relatively infertile soil. Economic development is hindered by a poor communications network within a landlocked country. Agriculture provides about 40% of GDP and is entirely of a subsistence nature. Industry, dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations, accounts for about 15% of GDP.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

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

Climate

tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

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 - Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

International disputes

the disputed international boundary between Burkina and Mali was submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October 1983 and the ICJ issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both sides agreed to accept; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger

Irrigated land

160 sq km (1989 est.)

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

Land use

arable land: 10% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 37% forest and woodland: 26% other: 27%

Location

Western Africa, between Ghana and Mali

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

none; landlocked

Natural resources

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

Note

landlocked

Terrain

mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast

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

Assembly of People's Deputies

elections last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held NA); 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 had not been formally constituted as of 1 July 1992

Capital

Ouagadougou

Constitution

2 June 1991

Digraph

UV

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Thomas Yara KAMBOU chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 332-5577 or 6895

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

FAX

[226] 31-23-68

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

Independence

5 August 1960 (from France)

Judicial branch

Appeals Court

Legal system

based on French civil law system and customary law

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

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

Names

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

National holiday

Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)

Other political or pressure groups

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

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

Suffrage

none

Type

parliamentary

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Donald J. McCONNELL embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou telephone: [226] 30-67- 23 through 25

Birth rate

48.42 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

18.2 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

118.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

NA (most adults are employed in subsistance agriculture; 52% of population is 15 years of age or older) 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)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 47.03 years male: 46.18 years female: 47.9 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

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

Nationality

noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural) adjective: Burkinabe

Net migration rate

-2.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

10,134,661 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

2.81% (1994 est.)

Religions

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

Total fertility rate

6.94 children born/woman (1994 est.)