Burkina




                                 Geography


Location:
     Western Africa, between Ghana and Mali
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     274,200 sq km
land area:
     273,800 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly larger than Colorado
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
Coastline:
     0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
     none; landlocked
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
Climate:
     tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain:
     mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and
     southeast
Natural resources:
     manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony,
     copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver
Land use:
arable land:
     10%
permanent crops:
     0%
meadows and pastures:
     37%
forest and woodland:
     26%
other:
     27%
Irrigated land:
     160 sq km (1989 est.)
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
Note:
     landlocked


                                  People


Population:
     10,134,661 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     2.81% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     48.42 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     18.2 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     -2.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     118.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     47.03 years
male:
     46.18 years
female:
     47.9 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     6.94 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Burkinabe (singular and plural)
adjective:
     Burkinabe
Ethnic divisions:
     Mossi (about 2.5 million), Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani
Religions:
     indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic)
     10%
Languages:
     French (official), tribal languages belong to Sudanic family, spoken
     by 90% of the population
Literacy:
     age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
     18%
male:
     28%
female:
     9%
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)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Burkina Faso
conventional short form:
former:
     Upper Volta
Digraph:
     UV
Type:
     parliamentary
Capital:
     Ouagadougou
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
Independence:
     5 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
     Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)
Constitution:
     2 June 1991
Legal system:
     based on French civil law system and customary law
Suffrage:
     none
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
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
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




Judicial branch:
     Appeals Court
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
Other political or pressure groups:
     committees for the defense of the revolution; watchdog/political
     action groups throughout the country in both organizations and
     communities
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
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
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
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


                                  Economy


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.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $7 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     0.7% (1992)




National product per capita:
     $700 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     -0.8% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
Budget:
revenues:
     $483 million
expenditures:
     $548 million, including capital expenditures of $189 million (1992)
Exports:
     $300 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
     cotton, gold, animal products
partners:
     EC 42%, Cote d'Ivoire 11%, Taiwan 15%
Imports:
     $685 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
     machinery, food products, petroleum
partners:
     EC 49%, Africa 24%, Japan 6%
External debt:
     $865 million (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
     growth rate 6.7% (1992); accounts for about 15% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     120,000 kW
production:
     320 million kWh
consumption per capita:
     40 kWh (1991)
Industries:
     cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes,
     textiles, gold mining and extraction
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
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
Currency:
     1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
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




Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


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


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, People's
     Militia
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 2,013,763; fit for military service 1,029,960
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP