CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Burkina Faso


 * }

!| Background:
 * Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France 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. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.
 * }


 * }

!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 400 sq km land: 273,800 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| 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 !| Coastline: !| Maritime claims: !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0.19% other: 85.38% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea !| Geography - note:
 * Western Africa, north of Ghana
 * 13 00 N, 2 00 W
 * Africa
 * total: 274,200 sq km
 * slightly larger than Colorado
 * total: 3,193 km
 * 0 km (landlocked)
 * none (landlocked)
 * tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
 * mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast
 * lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
 * manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver
 * arable land: 14.43%
 * 250 sq km (1998 est.)
 * recurring droughts
 * recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
 * party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
 * landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas
 * }


 * }

!| Population: 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 2004 est.) !| Age structure: 15-64 years: 51.1% (male 3,391,848; female 3,545,115) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 163,137; female 225,268) (2004 est.) !| Median age: male: 16.4 years female: 17.2 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 90.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 106.7 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 42.62 years female: 45.83 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Major infectious diseases: overall degree of risk: very high (2004) !| Nationality: adjective: Burkinabe !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 26.6% male: 36.9% female: 16.6% (2003 est.)
 * 13,574,820
 * 0-14 years: 46% (male 3,135,098; female 3,114,354)
 * total: 16.8 years
 * 2.57% (2004 est.)
 * 44.46 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 18.79 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
 * total: 98.67 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 44.2 years
 * 6.28 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 4.2% (2003 est.)
 * 300,000 (2003 est.)
 * 29,000 (2003 est.)
 * typhoid fever, malaria, schistosomiasis
 * noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)
 * Mossi over 40%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani
 * indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
 * French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
 * }


 * }

!| Country name: conventional short form: Burkina Faso former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta !| Government type: !| Capital: !| Administrative divisions: !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: head of government: Prime Minister Ernest Paramanga YONLI (since 6 November 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister 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 election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president with 87.5% percent of the vote !| Legislative branch: elections: National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007) 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 !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882 telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577 chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: 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 FAX: [226] 303890 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: none
 * parliamentary republic
 * Ouagadougou
 * 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
 * 5 August 1960 (from France)
 * Republic Day, 11 December (1958)
 * 2 June 1991 approved by referendum; 11 June 1991 formally adopted; ammended April 2000
 * based on French civil law system and customary law
 * universal
 * chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
 * unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
 * Supreme Court; Appeals Court
 * 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]
 * 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
 * ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Tertius ZONGO
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony HOLMES
 * 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: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 19.6% services: 40.5% (2003) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: 46.8% (1994) !| Distribution of family income - Gini index: !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003) !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $748.8 million NA, including capital expenditures of NA (2003) !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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. Cotton is the key crop. 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.
 * purchasing power parity - $14.55 billion (2003 est.)
 * 5.2% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 39.8%
 * 29% of GDP (2003)
 * 45% (2003 est.)
 * lowest 10%: 2%
 * 48.2 (1994)
 * 1.9% (2003 est.)
 * 5 million
 * agriculture 90% (2000 est.)
 * NA
 * revenues: $599.8 million
 * cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock
 * cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
 * 14% (2001 est.)
 * 279.2 million kWh (2001)
 * 259.6 million kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 kWh (2001)
 * 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 8,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * $-341 million (2003)
 * $293 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * cotton, livestock, gold
 * Singapore 12.8%, China 11.6%, Thailand 8%, Italy 6.4%, India 6%, Colombia 5.2%, Ghana 5.2%, France 4.8%, Niger 4% (2003)
 * $633.6 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum
 * France 31.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 14.6%, Togo 9%, Belgium 5% (2003)
 * $379 million (2003)
 * $1.3 billion (2000)
 * $484.1 million (1995)
 * Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
 * XOF
 * Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)
 * calendar year
 * }


 * }

!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 65,400 (2003)
 * 227,000 (2003)
 * general assessment: all services only fair
 * AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 3 (2002)
 * 394,020 (2000)
 * 1 (2002)
 * 131,340 (2002)
 * .bf
 * 442 (2003)
 * 1 (2002)
 * 48,000 (2003)
 * }


 * }

!| Railways: narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge note:: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire (2003) !| Highways: paved: 2,001 km unpaved: 10,505 km (1999) !| Ports and harbors: !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) !| Airports - with unpaved runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 17 (2004 est.)
 * total: 622 km
 * total: 12,506 km
 * none
 * 33 (2003 est.)
 * total: 2
 * total: 31
 * }


 * }

!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Army, Air Force
 * 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
 * males age 15-49: 3,047,306 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 1,552,212 (2004 est.)
 * $52.7 million (2003)
 * 1.6% (2003)
 * }