| Background statistics | |
| Area | 274,122km² |
| Population | 10.62 (7/96) |
| Population growth rate | 2.53% (1996 est.) |
| Currency | CFAFr US$1 = 590 (10/97) |
| Inflation | 5% (1997 est.) |
| Official language | French |
| Value of exports | US$ 267,6 million (1995) |
| Value of imports | US$ 482,8 million (1995) |
| Trade balance | US$ 215,2 million |
| Main exports | Cotton, livestock, gold |
| Main imports | Food products, consumables, petroleum products, equipment |
| GDP purchasing power parity | 7,4 billion (1995 est.) |
| GDP real growth rate | 4% (1995 est.) |
| GDP per Cap. | US$ 700 (1995 est.) |
| Burkina Faso is land-locked in the Sahel region between Mali in the north and the north-west, Niger in the east, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire in the south. It is a flat peneplain lying on the watershed between the headwaters of the Volta draining to the south and those of the Niger draining to the north. Temperatures are high at 31°C in April falling to 25°C in December. The northern part of the country is desert and semi-desert with an annual rainfall of 423 mm, while the south west is moister, with a rainfall of 981 mm supporting forests. Rain falls intermittently between June and September, although drought in the past has caused severe difficulties. |
| Before the colonial era a number of powerful kingdoms controlled all or part of the region, of which that of the Mossi, established in the 15th Century, was the longest reigning. In 1904 the countries of the whole Volta region became a French colony called Upper Volta. Independence was achieved from France in August 1960 under the first president Maurice Yaméogo. A succession of military governments followed, one of the most notable of which was that of the Democratic and Popular Revolution (RDP), under Capt. Thomas Sankara, who took power in 1983. The country's name was changed to Burkina Faso in 1984. |
| The present government. headed by President Blaise Compaoré, rules the National Assembly. The Fourth Constitution was adopted by referendum in 1991. The Government comprises the Prime Minister who appoints a Council of Ministers. The national legislation is bicameral, the Assemblée Nationale comprises 117 members, elected by universal suffrage, and the Chambre des Représentants, comprising 120 nominated members. The legislative elections were in 1997 and the presidential elections are due in 1998. The main political party is the CDP (Convention pour la Démocratie et le Progrès) |
| At 10.6 million, Burkina Faso is one of the more densely populated countries in the region (39 inhabitants per sq. km), and being relatively poor, a large number of Burkinabé work abroad in neighbouring countries. There are about 60 ethnic groups, of which the Mossi occupying the central region, are the strongest. Some 85% of the population are settled in urban areas. The administrative capital is Ouagadougou in the centre of the country with a population of just under one million inhabitants. Bobo-Dioulasso is the commercial capital in the south-west. Other major population centres are Koudougou and Banfora in the west and Ouahigouya in the north. |
| There are over 16.400 km of classified roads in Burkina, of which 1280 km are paved, connecting Ouagadougou with the other main centres. A narrow gauge railway joins Ouagadougou through Bobo-Dioulasso to the port of Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire. Ouagadougou has an international airport and there are a number of secondary airfields elsewhere. Oil-fired thermal electricity generation is now being supplemented by hydropower from the Kompienga Dam and all the main centres are supplied. The National Office of Telecommunications (ONATEL) maintains an automatic telephone service connecting the main centres with the international network. |
| The economy is mixed public sector and private enterprise. Agriculture is the dominant activity, employing 90% of the work force and accounting for 40% of GNP. Traditional food crops are millet and sorghum. In the south-western lowlands rice, corn, peanuts, cotton and sugar cane are cultivated. This area is also the main centre of cattle-breeding. Cotton accounts for nearly 50% of foreign earnings. The industrial sector accounts for 30% of GNP and includes brewing, oil processing, weaving and leather processing. The mining sector is still small, being mostly artisanal. Although substantial growth is expected in the near future especially for gold. The currency is the CFA Franc, which is the common currency used in the former French West and Central African territories. It is freely convertible and fixed against the French Franc at FFr1= CFAFr 100. Devaluation of 50% in 1994 caused difficulties for the economy. |