| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Africa |
| Geographical Location |
13° 00' North Latitude
02° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
274,200 sq km |
| Climate |
Tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers |
| Natural Resources |
Manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Burkina Faso |
| Capital City |
Ouagadougou |
| Government Type |
Parliamentary republic |
| Administrative Divisions |
45 provinces; Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komondjari, Kompienga,
Kossi, Koulpelogo, Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Nahouri, Nayala, Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga,
Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondoma, Zoundweogo |
| Independence Day |
5 August 1960 (from France) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
13,925,313 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Burkinabe |
| Ethnic Groups |
Mossi over 40%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani |
| Religion |
Indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% |
| Languages |
French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.53% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF);
note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
| Industries |
Cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold |
| Labor Force |
5 million
note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 90% (2000 est.) |
| Agriculture Products |
Cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock |
| Export Commodities |
Cotton, livestock, gold |
| Export Partners |
China 32.3%, Singapore 10.7%, Bangladesh 4.5%, Ghana 4.4%, Colombia 4.4% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum |
| Import Partners |
France 31.5%, Cote d'Ivoire 13.9%, Togo 8.5% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
622 km |
| Highways |
12,506 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
33 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
- |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+226 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.bf |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty
elections in the early 1990s. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.
Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries. |
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