Burkina Faso

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Burkina Faso

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

Area 274,122 sq km/105,838 sq mi Capital Ouagadougou Language French (official), 50 Sudanic languages (90%) Religion animist 40%, Sunni Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% Time difference GMT+/-0 Major holidays 1, 3 January, 1 May, 4, 15 August, 1 November, 25 December; variable: Ascension Thursday, Eid-ul-Adha, Easter Monday, end of Ramadan, Prophet's Birthday, Whit Monday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Bobo-Dioulasso, Koudougou, Banfora, Ouahigouya, Tenkodogo Physical features landlocked plateau with hills in west and southeast; headwaters of the River Volta; semiarid in north, forest and farmland in south; linked by rail to Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso's only outlet to the sea Airports two international airports, 49 small airfields, and 13 private airstrips; total passengers carried: 100,000 (2001 est) Railways total length: 622 km/389 mi Roads total road network: 12,506 km/7,771 mi, of which 16% paved (1999 est); passenger cars: 4.9 per 1,000 people (1998)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Blaise Compaoré from 1987 Head of government Tertius Zongo from 2007 Political system emergent democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 45 provinces Political parties Popular Front (FP), centre-left coalition grouping; National Convention of Progressive Patriots–Democratic Socialist Party (CNPP–PSD), left of centre Death penalty retains the death penalty for ordinary crimes but can be considered abolitionist in practice Armed forces 10,800; plus paramilitary forces of 250 (2006 est) Conscription military service is voluntary Defence spend (% GDP) 1.5 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 1.4 (1999) Health spend (% GDP) 2.6 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency franc CFA GDP (US$) 5.2 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 5.6 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 5.2 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 1,220 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 3.2% (2006 est) Unemployment 8.1% (1994 est) Labour force 92.2% agriculture, 1.8% industry, 6% services (2003) Foreign debt (US$) 2.2 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners China, France, Singapore, Côte d'Ivoire, Thailand, Togo, Ghana, Libya Resources manganese, zinc, limestone, phosphates, diamonds, gold, antimony, marble, silver, lead Industries food processing, textiles, cotton ginning, brewing, processing of hides and skins Exports cotton, gold, livestock and livestock products. Principal market: China 36.1% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment, miscellaneous manufactured articles, food products (notably cereals), refined petroleum products, chemicals. Principal source: France 23.2% (2005) Arable land 17.7% (2006 est) Agricultural products cotton, sesame seeds, sheanuts (karité nuts), millet, sorghum, maize, sugar cane, rice, groundnuts; livestock rearing (cattle, sheep, and goats)


POPULATION

Population 13,634,00 (2006 est) Population growth rate 2.9% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 50 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 19 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 47%, 15–59 49%, 60+ 4% (2005 est) Ethnic groups over 50 ethnic groups, including the nomadic Mossi (48%), Fulani (8%), Gourma (7%), and Bisa-Samo (6%). Settled tribes include: in the north the Lobi-Dagari (4%) and the Mande (7%); in the southeast the Bobo (7%); and in the southwest the Senoufu (6%) and Gourounsi (6%) Life expectancy 49 (men); 50 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 192 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 6 Literacy rate 19% (men); 8% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 0.4 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 1.4 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 2 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 29,000 (2003 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 82 (urban); 44 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 0.7 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 4.3 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 433 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 12 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 0.2 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 5.9 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

13th–14th centuries Formerly settled by Bobo, Lobi, and Gurunsi peoples, east and centre were conquered by Mossi and Gurma peoples, who established powerful warrior kingdoms, some of which survived until late 19th century. 1895–1903 France secured protectorates over the Mossi kingdom of Yatenga and the Gurma region, and annexed the Bobo and Lobi lands, meeting armed resistance. 1904 The French-controlled region, known as Upper Volta, was attached administratively to French Sudan; tribal chiefs were maintained in their traditional seats and the region was to serve as a labour reservoir for more developed colonies to the south. 1919 Made a separate French colony. 1932 Partitioned between French Sudan, Côte d'Ivoire, and Niger. 1947 Became French overseas territory. 1960 Independence achieved, with Maurice Yaméogo as first president. 1966 Military coup led by Lt-Col Sangoulé Lamizana. 1977 Referendum approved new constitution based on civilian rule. 1978 Lamizana elected president. 1980 Lamizana overthrown by Col Saye Zerbo. 1982 Major Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo became president and Capt Thomas Sankara prime minister. 1983 Sankara seized complete power. 1984 Upper Volta renamed Burkina Faso (‘land of upright men’) to signify break with colonial past; Sankara established links with Libya, Benin, and Ghana. 1987 Capt Blaise Compaoré staged coup and became president. 1991 New constitution approved. 1992 Multiparty elections were won by pro-Compaoré Popular Front (which later became Congress for Democracy and Progress, CDP). 1998 President Blaise Compaoré re-elected with overwhelming majority. 2000 Prime Minister Ouedraogo resigned; replaced by Paramanga Ernest Yonli. 2001 Outbreak of meningitis killed estimated 1,500 people. 2003 Coup attempt against Compaoré foiled. 2006 Meningitis killed another 700 people. 2007 Ruling CDP retained majority in parliamentary elections; Tertius Zongo replaced Paramanga Ernest Yonli as prime minister.


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