Africaine franc (CFA Fr) is a paper currency with one basic official rate based on the euro. It was originally pegged to the French franc. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, and 500 CFA francs, and notes of 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 CFA francs. CFA Fr1 = $0.00193 (or $1 = CFA Fr518.65) as of 2005.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is the legal standard.

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TIME: GMT.

1 Location and Size

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It has an area of 274,200 square kilometers (105,869 square miles). Burkina Faso is slightly larger than the state of Colorado. The country shares borders with Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali. Burkina Faso has a total boundary length of 3,192 kilometers (1,983 miles). The capital, Ouagadougou, is located in the center of the country.

2 Topography

Most of Burkina Faso consists of a vast plateau in the West African savanna approximately 200 to 300 meters (650 to 1,000 feet) above sea level. The highest point (749 meters/2,457 feet) is Téna Kourou, northwest of Orodara near the border with Mali. The land is slightly inclined toward the south and notched by valleys formed by the three principal rivers, the Black, White, and Red Voltas, and their main tributary, the Sourou. They are either nearly dry river beds, or they

GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE

Geographic Features

Area: 274,200 sq km (105,869 sq mi)

Size ranking: 72 of 194

Highest elevation: 749 meters (2,457 feet) at Téna Kourou

Lowest elevation: 200 meters (656 feet) at Black Volta River

Land Use*

Arable land: 18%

Permanent crops: 0%

Other: 82%

Weather**

Average annual precipitation: 87.9 centimeters (34.6 inches)

Average temperature in January: 25.4°c (77.7°f)

Average temperature in July: 26.9°c (80.4°f)

* Arable Land: Land used for temporary crops, like meadows for mowing or pasture, gardens, and greenhouses.

Permanent crops: Land cultivated with crops that occupy its use for long periods, such as cocoa, coffee, rubber, fruit and nut orchards, and vineyards.

Other: Any land not specified, including built-on areas, roads, and barren land.

** The measurements for precipitation and average temperatures were taken at weather stations closest to the country’s largest city.

Precipitation and average temperature can vary significantly within a country, due to factors such as latitude, altitude, coastal proximity, and wind patterns.

are flooded during rainy periods. All of Burkina Faso’s rivers are unnavigable. In general, the land is dry and poor. The Black Volta River is the longest at 1,610 kilometers (1,000 miles). The lowest point in the country is within the Black Volta River valley at 200 meters (656 feet).

3 Climate

The climate is characterized by high temperatures, especially at the end of the dry season. The harmattan, a dry, hot wind, brings hot spells from March to May, when maximum temperatures range from 40 to 48°c (104 to 119°f). From May to October, the climate is hot and wet, and from November to March, comfortable and dry. Average annual rainfall varies from 115 centimeters (45 inches) in the southwest to less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) in the extreme north and northeast.

4 Plants and Animals

The area is largely wild bush country with a mixture of grass and small trees in varying proportions. The savanna region is mainly grassland in the rainy season and semidesert during the harmattan (hot, dry, windy) period. Burkina Faso has possibly the widest variety of wildlife of any country in West Africa. It is home to elephants, hippopotamus, buffalo, monkeys, crocodiles, giraffes, various types of antelope, and a vast variety of bird and insect life.

5 Environment

The major environmental problems facing Burkina Faso are drought and the advance of the northern desert into the savanna. Desertification, where fertile land is gradually transformed into barren desert, has been increased by overgrazing of pasture, slash-and-burn agriculture, and over-cutting of wood for fuel. The frequent droughts in Burkina Faso and its location in the Sahara desert contribute to the nation’s water supply problems. According to the World Health

Organization, about 80% of all disease in Burkina Faso is caused by unsafe water. Pollution problems result from uncontrolled disposal of sewage and industrial wastes.

Burkina Faso has 12 national parks and wildlife reserves. Slightly more than 10% of its total land area is protected. According to a 2006 report, six types of mammals are considered endangered, including the African hunting dog, the chimpanzee, and the African elephant. The Sahara oryx, or white oryx, has become extinct in the wild. Two bird species, one reptile species, and two species of plants are also threatened.

6 Population

The 2005 population was estimated at 13.9 million, with an average annual growth rate of about 2.5% estimated for the period 2005 to 2010. The projected population for the year 2025 is 22.4 million. The population density in 2005 was 47 per square kilometer (about 122 per square mile). Most people live in the south and center of the country, and about 83% of the population were estimated to live in rural areas.

7 Migration

Seasonal labor migration in Burkina Faso began in the 1800s and continues today as a way of increasing income. According to some estimates, as many as two million Burkinabe (citizens of Burkina Faso) live abroad at any one time, about half in Côte d’Ivoire. Since September 2002, more than 150,000 Burkinabe refugees returned home due to civil conflict in Côte d’Ivoire. Most of the remaining Burkinabe living abroad are spread throughout West Africa, where many are employed on coffee and cocoa plantations. As of 2004, about 492 people were registered as refugees. Another 518 were registered as asylum seekers. The total number of migrants in the country numbered 1,124,000 in 2000. The estimated net migration rate in 2005 was zero.

8 Ethnic Groups

The citizens of Burkina Faso are generally called Burkinabe. The principal ethnic group in Burkina Faso is the Mossi, who make up about 40% of the total population. They are mainly farmers and live in the central area of the country.

The Bobo, the second-largest ethnic group (about one million), are mostly farmers, artisans, and metalworkers living in the southwest around Bobo-Dioulasso. Other groups include the Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, and Mande. The nomadic Fulani (or Peul) inhabit the areas near the country’s northern borders.

9 Languages

French is the official language of Burkina Faso. However, tribal languages belonging to the Sudanic family are spoken by 90% of the population. Moré, spoken by 55% of the population, is the most important tribal language. The various ethnic groups speak their own languages.

10 Religions

About 55% to 60% of the population are Muslim, about 15% to 20% are Roman Catholic, and approximately 5% are Protestant. Many citizens also include traditional tribal beliefs in their religious practices. About 20% to 25% of the population practice traditional indigenous religions exclusively. Citizens in rural areas tend to practice the traditional religions.

Members of the Fulani ethnic groups are predominantly Muslim. The majority of the nation’s Muslims are Sunnis, but minority groups belong to the Shia, Tidjania, and Wahhabite sects. A large number of foreign missionary groups are active within the country. Some Muslim and Christian holidays are officially observed.

11 Transportation

In 2002, Burkina Faso had 12,506 kilometers (7,771 miles) of roads, of which about 2,001 kilometers (1,243 miles) were paved. Many of the secondary roads are not open year-round. Vehicles in 2003 included 49,800 passenger cars and 28,650 commercial vehicles.

The 510-kilometer (317-mile) Mossi Railroad in Burkina Faso is part of the line that begins at Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and ends in Niger, some 1,145 kilometers (710 miles) away. There are international airports at Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso, and many smaller airfields. About 55,000 passengers were transported on domestic and international flights in 2003.

12 History

Until the end of the 19th century, the history of Burkina Faso is the history of the empire-building Mossi. According to legend and tradition, the Mossi entered the region from the eleventh through the thirteenth centuries.

Beginning in the 14th century, the Mossi were engaged in repeated wars with the neighboring empires of Mali and Songhai, and they occupied Timbuktu (now in Mali) at various times. They were defeated by Askia Daoud of Songhai in the sixteenth century. Afterward they stopped fighting their powerful neighbors. The first known European arrivals occurred late in the nineteenth century. The Mossi accepted French domination as a form of protection from their hostile neighbors.

In 1919, the French created a separate colony called Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso). In 1932, Upper Volta’s territory was divided among Niger, French Sudan (now Mali), and Côte d’Ivoire. Throughout the colonial period, the traditional political structure of the Mossi was unchanged, and the moro naba (ruler) of Ouagadougou was regarded by the French as the emperor of the Mossi.

In 1958, Upper Volta’s territorial assembly voted to make the country self-governing. The republic achieved independence on 5 August 1960. Maurice Yaméogo, leader of the Volta Democratic Union, became president, and his government banned all opposition parties. In 1965, a single election list was offered to the people, and the opposition—joined by civil servants, trade unionists, and students—started riots. Yaméogo was replaced as president in January 1966 by Lieutenant Colonel (later General) Sangoulé Lamizana, a former army chief of staff. He suspended the 1960 constitution, dissolved the National Assembly, and formed a military-civilian cabinet.

During the 1970s and early 1980s, Upper Volta suffered from severe political unrest, with military takeovers in 1980, 1982, and 1983. In 1984 the nation was renamed Burkina Faso, loosely translated as “Land of Upright Men.”

Another military takeover occurred in 1987. Captain Blaise Compaoré became chief of the government. Under his government, political parties were legalized.

Human rights violations were commonplace under the early years of the Compaoré regime. There was almost no freedom of the press. Force was used against political demonstrators. In 1998, the government set up a National Reconciliation Commission. In 2000, the Commission began trials of people believed to be connected to violent crimes and political killings. Compaoré faced increasing opposition as of early 2004, but he remained president.

In April 2005, President Compaoré was reelected to a third term, winning 80.3% of the vote. His opponent, Benewende Stanislas Sankara, won only 4.9% of the vote. The next presidential election was scheduled for November 2010.

In 2001 and 2002 the country experienced outbreaks of meningitis that killed more than 2,500 in two consecutive seasons.

BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE

Name: Blaise Compaoré

Position: President of a parliamentary democracy

Took Office: 15 October 1987; reelected to a third term in November 2005

Birthplace: Ziniare, Burkina Faso

Birthdate: 1950

Education: Officers school, Yaounde, Cameroon

Spouse: Chantal (daughter of the late president of Cote d’Ivoire, Houphouet Boigny)

13 Government

A new constitution, establishing the Fourth Republic, was adopted on 2 June 1991 and called for an Assembly of People’s Deputies with 107 seats. By 2004, the Assembly had grown to 111 seats. Captain Blaise Compaoré became Chief of State and Head of Government, a post he continued to hold as of 2004. In April 2000, the constitution was amended to reduce the term a president serves from seven years to five years, and to limit the president to two terms. Although that amendment was to have taken effect in the 2005 election, President Blaise Compaoré was reelected to a third consecutive term in 2005.

In 1986, Burkina Faso was divided into thirty provinces. In 1997, that number was increased to forty-five.

14 Political Parties

Political parties were banned from 1980 until 1992. The Compaoré government legalized parties before holding elections on 24 May 1992. The 1992 elections were considered by many to have been badly flawed; consequently, only 35% of eligible voters participated.

National Assembly elections were held in 1997 and 2002. The Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) of President Compaoré held a majority of seats in 2002, although its majority fell to 57 seats, while the African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation (ADF-RDA) took second place with 17 seats. The next parliamentary elections were scheduled for May 2007.

15 Judicial System

At the top of the judicial system is the Supreme Court. Beneath it are the courts of appeal at Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. District courts deal with cases involving civil, criminal, and commercial law. In the villages, traditional courts apply customary law in cases involving divorce and inheritance. There is a High Court of Justice to try the president and high government officials for treason and other serious crimes.

16 Armed Forces

In 2005, Burkina Faso had 10,800 active military personnel. The army had 6,400 active members, while the air force had 200 active personnel. There is also a 4,200-member gendarmeries and a “people’s militia” that was made up of 45,000 men and women. The defense budget in 2005 totaled $72.7 million.

17 Economy

Burkina Faso is an agricultural country where about 90% of the labor force produces food, mostly for domestic consumption. Food staples—millet, sorghum, maize, and rice—are the main crops. Cotton is the principal export crop.

As of 2003, economic progress depended upon reducing the trade deficit, continuing low inflation rates, improving the infrastructure, pursuing privatization, developing mineral resources, and encouraging private investment. Foreign aid remains the chief source of finance

Yearly Growth Rate

This economic indicator tells by what percent the economy has increased or decreased when compared with the previous year.

for investment and economic development. In that same year, the economy grew at a rate of 6.5%. However, the growth rate fell to 4.6% in 2004 and to 3.5% in 2005.

18 Income

Burkina Faso’s gross domestic product (GDP) was about $16.9 billion, or about $1,200 per person in 2005. The annual growth rate of the GDP was estimated at 3.5%. As of 2002 the average inflation rate was 3%.

19 Industry

Industry accounted for about 28% of Burkina’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2000, although only 2% of its population was employed by that sector. However, by 2004, industry’s share of GDP fell to 20%, while services accounted for 48% and agriculture 32%. The principal centers

Components of the Economy

This pie chart shows how much of the country’s economy is devoted to agriculture (including forestry, hunting, and fishing), industry, or services.

for economic activity are Bobo-Dioulasso, Ouagadougou, Banfora, and Koudougou. These cities are on the rail line to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Important industries are food processing, textiles, and leather, although small-scale operations manufacture cigarettes, bricks, and light metal goods such as beds and agricultural implements. Other enterprises are a brewery and assembly plants which produce mopeds and bicycles. Cotton is Burkina Faso’s main export. In 1999, (the latest year for which data was available), cotton output totaled 419,000 tons. Gold is the country’s third-largest export. Efforts were underway in 2003 to develop a shea butter industry in Burkina Faso. Shea butter is used as a skin moisturizer and as a substitute for cocoa butter in the production of chocolate.

20 Labor

In 2003, Burkina Faso’s labor force totaled five million people. As of 2005, about 85% of the country’s workforce was engaged in subsistence farming.

Although the vast majority of the country’s labor force were in the agricultural sector and not members of a union, the majority of those in other sectors were union members. As of 2005, about 60% of the country’s public employees and around 50% of those in the private sector were unionized. In 2002, there were four major labor confederations and twelve independent trade unions. Unions have the right to strike. The standard work week was forty hours, and the minimum wage was $53 per week in 2005. However, labor laws, including the minimum wage, do not apply to agricultural workers, which are the vast majority.

The minimum age for employment is 14. However, most children actually begin work at an earlier age, either on small family farms or within the traditional apprenticeship system.

21 Agriculture

In 2005, subsistence agriculture employed around 85% of the work force, and in 2004 accounted for an estimated 32% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Only an estimated 13% of the total land area was used to grow crops, and Burkina Faso is not self-sufficient in food. Although the country produced slightly more than three million tons of cereal in 2004, imports were needed to meet demand. Principal crops grown by small farmers included sorghum, millet, corn, and rice. Commercial crops included cottonseed, ground-nuts, cotton fiber, and sesame. Other important crops were cassava, cowpeas, sweet potatoes, and tobacco. Sugarcane has been introduced on a large scale and is becoming an important cash crop. Cotton exports accounted for 51% of total exports in 2004.

22 Domesticated Animals

In 2004 there were an estimated 10.58 million goats, 7 million sheep, 674,000 pigs, 27,000 horses, and 24 million chickens. Meat production in that same year included 58,100 tons of beef, 28,200 tons of poultry, 27,000 tons of goat meat, 14,000 tons of mutton, and 9,700 tons of pork. Production in 2004 included 9,500 tons of cattle hides, 7,100 tons of goatskins, and 3,400 tons of sheepskins. Dairy products that year included 187,000 tons of cow’s milk, 54,000 tons of goat’s milk, and 1,400 tons of butter and ghee (clarified butter). Hens also produced 18,200 tons of eggs.

23 Fishing

The country has no access to the sea and freshwater areas are limited. Fish are still caught by traditional methods, and production amounted to 9,005 tons in 2003.

24 Forestry

Almost all of Burkina Faso’s native forests were cut down for fuel or to make way for farmland. Reforestation began in 1973. About 50% of the total land was considered forest or woodland. In 2003, roundwood production was estimated at 7.3 million cubic meters (259 million cubic feet), of which 84% was for fuel.

25 Mining

Gold mining output for 2004 was 1,125 kilograms (2,480 pounds). Although there were also about 15 million tons of high-grade manganese ore at Tambao, as of 2004 none was produced, as a rail line was not yet completed. Bauxite

Yearly Balance of Trade

The balance of trade is the difference between what a country sells to other countries (its exports) and what it buys (its imports). If a country imports more than it exports, it has a negative balance of trade (a trade deficit). If exports exceed imports there is a positive balance of trade (a trade surplus).

deposits have been located in the regions of Kaya and Bobo-Dioulasso. Other significant mineral deposits include copper at Gaoua and Wayen, graphite at Kaya, and phosphate at Kodjari. Four main deposits of limestone have also been discovered. Other deposits within the country include cassiterite, cobalt, diamonds, granite, lead, marble, nickel, phosphate rock, pumice, salt, sand and gravel, uranium, and vanadium.

26 Foreign Trade

Cotton, gold, and animal products are the principal exports. Leading imports are machinery, food products, refined petroleum, cement, clinker (residue from burned coal), and fertilizers.

China, Singapore, and Ghana were the top three destinations for Burkina Faso’s exports.

Selected Social Indicators

The statistics below are the most recent estimates available as of 2006. For comparison purposes, data for the United States and averages for low-income countries and high-income countries are also given. About 15% of the world’s 6.5 billion people live in high-income countries, while 37% live in low-income countries.

Indicator	Burkina Faso	Low-income countries	High-income countries	United States
sources: World Bank. World Development Indicators. Washington, D.C.:The World Bank, 2006; Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 2006; World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C.
Per capita gross national income (GNI)*	$1,170	$2,258	$31,009	$39,820
Population growth rate	2.9%	2%	0.8%	1.2%
People per square kilometer of land	47	80	30	32
Life expectancy in years: male	47	58	76	75
female	49	60	82	80
Number of physicians per 1,000 people	0.1	0.4	3.7	2.3
Number of pupils per teacher (primary school)	49	43	16	15
Literacy rate (15 years and older)	12.8%	65%	>95%	99%
Television sets per 1,000 people	12	84	735	938
Internet users per 1,000 people	4	28	538	630
Energy consumed per capita (kg of oil equivalent)	n.a.	501	5,410	7,843
CO² emissions per capita (metric tons)	0.09	0.85	12.97	19.92
* The GNI is the total of all goods and services produced by the residents of a country in a year. The per capita GNI is calculated by dividing a country’s GNI by its population and adjusting for relative purchasing power.
n.a.: data not available >: greater than <: less than

France, Côte d’Ivoire Togo and Belgium were the main countries of origin for imports.

27 Energy and Power

All of Burkina Faso’s petroleum product needs are met by imports. In 2002, imports and consumption of petroleum averaged 8,870 barrels per day. Total installed electrical capacity in 2001 was 121,000 kilowatts. Production of electricity stood at 28 million kilowatt hours, of which 73.6% was thermal and 26.4% hydroelectric.

28 Social Development

Tribal organizations provide their own social welfare to members of the tribe. The basic needs of the individual are cared for by the group. However, a social insurance law provides employed persons with pensions for old age and disability. Medical coverage is limited to maternity benefits, which are 100% of regular earnings payable for 14 weeks. There is also a family allowance program for those who are employed. Most citizens however, are subsistence farmers, and do not enjoy the benefits of the social insurance system. Female circumcision is still widely practiced, with about 70% of the female population undergoing this procedure.

29 Health

There is a shortage of physicians and hospital beds in Burkina Faso, but the hospital at Ouagadougou is one of the most modern in Africa. Medical centers at Bobo-Dioulasso conduct research on insect-borne diseases. Mobile medical units attempt to control leprosy, sleeping sickness, yellow fever, measles, tuberculosis, and other contagious diseases.

One of Burkina Faso’s most serious health problems is onchocerciasis (river blindness), which affects almost all regions of the country. A control program has had some success.

The infant mortality rate in 2005 was 92.94 per 1,000 live births. Average life expectancy in that same year was estimated at 48.45 years. As of 2004, the number of people living with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) was estimated at 300,000. Deaths from AIDS in 2003 were estimated at 29,000.

Female circumcision is still widely practiced, with about 70% of the female population undergoing this procedure.

30 Housing

Many African people, especially the Mossi, live in round huts with cone-shaped straw roofs or in rectangular huts with flat roofs. Urban centers consist primarily of French colonial architecture. There are severe housing shortages in most cities.

According to a 2002 report, about 80% of the residents in the capital city of Ouagadougou had access to safe water and sanitation. Countrywide 78% of the population had access to safe water. There is an average of 6.9 people per household.

31 Education

Though education is listed as compulsory for all children ages seven to fourteen, attendance is not enforced. All public education is free. The language of instruction is French. Primary education lasts for six years and secondary for seven years. Secondary education consists of either a general or technical course of study. However, as of 2003, primary school enrollment was estimated at around 36% of age-eligible students, with 9% of age-eligible students enrolled in secondary schools. The pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level averaged 49 to 1 in 2004.

The Center for Higher Education was established in 1969. In 1974 it became the University of Ouagadougou.

As of 2004, the adult literacy rate was estimated at 12.8% (males, 18.5%; females, 8.1%).

32 Media

Radio, telephone, and telegraph services are available to Paris and to the neighboring countries. In 2003 there were an estimated 5 mainline telephones and 19 mobile phones in use for every 1,000 people.

Two radio stations, one in Ouagadougou and one in Bobo-Dioulasso, are run by Radiodiffusion Nationale, the government radio corporation. Broadcasts are in French and thirteen other indigenous languages. As of 2002, there were a total of 3 AM and 17 FM radio stations. In 2003 there were an estimated 433 radios and 12 television sets for every 1,000 people. Télévision Nationale du Burkina, the government-owned television transmitting station, broadcasts six days a week; these broadcasts are received only in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. There is also one privately operated television station. In 2003, there were 2.1 personal computers for every 1,000 people, with 4 out of every 1,000 with access to the Internet. In 2004, there were only two secure Internet servers in the country.

Burkina Faso had seven daily newspapers in 2002, all published in Ouagadougou. L’Observateur Paalga and L’Observateur had the highest circulations (8,000 each). Other dailies included the Bulletin Quotidien d’Information (circulation 1,500), Le Pays (4,000), and Sidwaya (3,000). Several published periodicals, all issued in Ouagadougou, include the Bulletin Economique et Social (circulation 550), published by the Chamber of Commerce six times a year, and Carrefour Africain, published monthly with government sponsorship. The press agency, Agence d’Information du Burkina, is based in Ouagadougou.

The 1990 Information Code provides for freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

33 Tourism and Recreation

Tourist attractions include the Nazinga, Arly, and “W” park game preserves, the National Museum and artisan centers in Ouagadougou, and market towns such as Gorom-Gorom. In 2000, a total of 612,787 tourists visited the country.

34 Famous Burkinabe

Among the best-known Burkinabe are two former presidents of Upper Volta: Maurice Yaméogo (1921–1993), president from 1960 to 1966, and Sangoulé Lamizana (1916–2005), president from 1966 to 1980. Moro Naba Kougri (1930–1982) was a traditional sovereign of the Mossi.