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Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $277 million expenditures: $492 million, including capital expenditures of $233 million (1995 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]

$715 million (December 1996)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]

One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has a high population density, 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 (Electricity-capacity) [time series]

78,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]

21 kWh (1995)

Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]

220 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates [time series]

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993) 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 [time series]

total value: $298 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: cotton, animal products, gold partners: Cote d'Ivoire, France, Italy, Mali

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year Communications

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$10.3 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 32% industry: 26% services: 42% (1995)

Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$950 (1997 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]

6% (1997 est.)

Imports [time series]

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 [time series]

4.2% (1995)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]

3% (1996 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 1, FM 32, shortwave 1

Radios [time series]

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

21,000 (1993 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

3 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

49,000 (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

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

Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]

slightly larger than Colorado

Climate [time series]

tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m

Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]

recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation

International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]

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 [time series]

13 00 N, 2 00 W

Geography - note (Geography-note) [time series]

landlocked

Irrigated land [time series]

200 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

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 [time series]

arable land: 13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 22% forests and woodland: 50% other: 15% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

Western Africa, north of Ghana

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

recurring droughts

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 note: there may be a new administrative structure of 45 provinces (Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komandjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koupelogo, Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala, Naumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Samentenga, Sanguie, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondomo, Zoundweogo)

Constitution [time series]

2 June 1991

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Burkina Faso former: Upper Volta

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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 306726

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Bruno Nongoma ZIDOUEMBA chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577, 6895

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987) head of government: Prime Minister Kadre Desire OUEDRAOGO (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; the number of terms which a president may serve is not limited; 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%)

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[226] 303890

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

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 [time series]

parliamentary

Independence [time series]

5 August 1960 (from France)

International organization participation [time series]

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, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court; Appeals Court

Legal system [time series]

based on French civil law system and customary law

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral; consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (ADP) (111 seats; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms) and the purely consultative Chamber of Representations or Chambre des Representants (120 seats; members are appointed to serve three-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 101, PDP 6, RDA 2, ADF 2

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Ouagadougou

National holiday [time series]

Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

African Democratic Assembly or RDA [Gerard Kango OUEDRAOGO]; Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Burkinabe Bolshevic Party or PBB; Burkinabe Socialist Party or PSB; 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]; Group of Democratic Patriots or GDP; Movement for Social Tolerance and Progress or MTP; New Social Democrats or NSD; Open Revolutionary Party or POR; Organization for People's Democracy-Labor Movement or ODP-MT (ruling party at time of 1992 elections but was incorporated, with about a dozen smaller parties, into the powerful CDP in February 1996); 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 parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities; Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL

Suffrage [time series]

universal

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]

$104 million (1994)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]

6.4% (1994)

Military manpower - availability (Military manpower-availability) [time series]

males age 15-49: 2,317,227 (1998 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service (Military manpower-fit for military service) [time series]

males: 1,187,840 (1998 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 48% (male 2,721,564; female 2,687,770) 15-64 years: 49% (male 2,616,375; female 2,899,923) 65 years and over: 3% (male 146,195; female 194,566) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

46.24 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate [time series]

17.65 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

Mossi about 24%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani

Infant mortality rate [time series]

109.15 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 46.1 years male: 45.38 years female: 46.85 years (1998 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 19.2% male: 29.5% female: 9.2% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural) adjective: Burkinabe

Net migration rate [time series]

-1.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population [time series]

11,266,393 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

2.72% (1998 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

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: 0.75 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.64 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]

none BURMA

Transportation

Airports [time series]

33 (1997 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 31 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 14 (1997 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 12,506 km paved: 2,001 km unpaved: 10,505 km (1995 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

none

Railways [time series]

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.)