BURKINA FASO
@Burkina Faso:Geography
Location: Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 274,200 sq km land : 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Colorado
Land boundaries:
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
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain: mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast
Elevation extremes: lowest point : Black Volta River 200 m highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m
Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver
Land use: arable land: 13% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 22% forests and woodland: 50% other : 15% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 200 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring droughts
Environment - current issues: recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
Environment - international agreements: 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
Geography - note: landlocked
@Burkina Faso:People
Population: 10,891,159 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0–14 years: 48% (male 2,636,509; female 2,602,984) 15–64 years : 49% (male 2,515,266; female 2,799,542) 65 years and over: 3% (male 146,267; female 190,591) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.45% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 46.43 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 20.33 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: −1.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio: 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: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 116.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 42.29 years male: 42.45 years female : 42.12 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.72 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality: noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural) adjective: Burkinabe
Ethnic groups: Mossi about 24%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande,
Fulani
Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman
Catholic) 10%
Languages: French (official), tribal languages belonging to Sudanic family, spoken by 90% of the population
Literacy: definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 19.2% male: 29.5% female: 9.2% (1995 est.)
@Burkina Faso:Government
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Burkina Faso former: Upper Volta
Data code: UV
Government type: parliamentary
National capital: Ouagadougou
Administrative divisions: 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
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) head of government: Prime Minister Kadre' De'sire' OUE'DRAOGO (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; 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%)
Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of People's Deputies or Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (111 seats; members are popularly elected to serve five-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 97, PDP 6, RDA 2, ADF 2; note - 4 contested seats are to be filled in special election on 19 June 1997 by order of the Supreme Court note: the current law also provides for a second consultative chamber, which has not been formally constituted
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders: Organization for People's Democracy - Labor Movement or ODP-MT (ruling party at time of 1992 elections but was subsumed, with about a dozen smaller parties, into the powerful CDP in February 1996); African Democratic Assembly or RDA [Gerard Kango OUEDRAOGO]; Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; 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]; National Convention of Progressive Patriots-Social Democratic Party or CNPP-PSD [Moussa BOLY] (not prominent in 1997); 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 pressure groups and leaders: committees for the defense of the revolution; watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities
International organization participation: 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, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission : Ambassador Gaetan R. OUEDRAOGO chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332–5577, 6895
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sharon P. WILKINSON (16 July 1996) embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou