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 15 November 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime
minister appointed by the president with the consent of the
legislature
election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president with 88%
percent of the vote, with 56% of voter turnout
Legislative branch: bicameral; consists of a National Assembly or
Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (ADP) (111 seats; members are
elected by popular vote 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: National Assembly election 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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and
Nongma OUEDRAOGO, president]; Burkinabe Environmentalist Party or
Political pressure groups and leaders: watchdog/political action
groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities;
Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or HBDHP; Burkinabe General
Confederation of Labor or CGTB; National Confederation of Burkinabe
Workers or CNTB; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL; Group
of 14 February
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,
MINURCA, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gaetan Rimwangulya OUEDRAOGO chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sharon P. WILKINSON embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou
Flag description: 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
Economy—overview: One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has a high population density, few natural resources, and a fragile soil. About 85% of the population is engaged in (mainly 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. Maintenance of its macroeconomic progress in 1999–2000 depends on continued low inflation, reduction in the trade deficit, and reforms designed to encourage private investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity—$11.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 6% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,000 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 35% industry: 25% services: 40% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 4.679 million (persons 10 years old and over, according to a sample survey taken in 1991) note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment
Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 85%, industry, commerce, services, government (1998)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $277 million
expenditures: $492 million, including capital expenditures of $233
million (1995 est.)
Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing,
soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
Industrial production growth rate: 4.2% (1995)
Electricity—production: 220 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 63.64% hydro: 36.36% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Electricity—consumption: 220 million kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products: peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock
Exports: $400 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Exports—commodities: cotton, animal products, gold
Exports—partners: Cote d'Ivoire, France, Italy, Mali
Imports: $700 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Imports—commodities: machinery, food products, petroleum
Imports—partners: Cote d'Ivoire, France, Togo, Nigeria
Debt—external: $715 million (December 1996)
Economic aid—recipient: $484.1 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—560.01 (December 1998), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 21,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: all services only fair domestic: microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communication stations international: satellite earth station—1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 17, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)
Televisions: 49,000 (1991 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
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.)
Highways:
total: 12,506 km
paved: 2,001 km
unpaved: 10,505 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 33 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports—with