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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
Burkina Faso
    n 1: a desperately poor landlocked country in western Africa;
         was formerly Upper Volta under French rule but gained
         independence in 1960 [syn: Burkina Faso, Upper Volta]

2. CIA World Factbook 2002
Burkina Faso

   Introduction Burkina Faso
   -------------------------
                             Background: Independence from France came to
                                         Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta)
                                         in 1960. Governmental instability
                                         during the 1970s and 1980s was
                                         followed by multiparty elections in
                                         the early 1990s. Several hundred
                                         thousand farm workers migrate south
                                         every year to Cote d'Ivoire and
                                         Ghana.
  
   Geography Burkina Faso
   ----------------------
                              Location: Western Africa, north of Ghana
                Geographic coordinates: 13 00 N, 2 00 W
                        Map references: Africa
                                  Area: total: 274,200 sq km
                                        water: 400 sq km
                                        land: 273,800 sq km
                    Area - comparative: slightly larger than Colorado
                       Land boundaries: total: 3,193 km
                                        border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote
                                        d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 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: Mouhoun (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: 12.43%
                                        permanent crops: 0.18%
                                        other: 87.39% (1998 est.)
                        Irrigated land: 250 sq km (1998 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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
                            agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
                                        Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine
                                        Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
                                        Protection, Wetlands
                                        signed, but not ratified: Law of the
                                        Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
                      Geography - note: landlocked savanna cut by the three
                                        principal rivers of the Black, Red,
                                        and White Voltas
  
   People Burkina Faso
   -------------------
                            Population: 12,603,185
                                        note: estimates for this country
                                        explicitly take into account the
                                        effects of excess mortality due to
                                        AIDS; this can result in lower life
                                        expectancy, higher infant mortality
                                        and death rates, lower population
                                        and growth rates, and changes in the
                                        distribution of population by age
                                        and sex than would otherwise be
                                        expected (July 2002 est.)
                         Age structure: 0-14 years: 47.3% (male 3,007,675;
                                        female 2,960,697)
                                        15-64 years: 49.8% (male 3,000,411;
                                        female 3,271,594)
                                        65 years and over: 2.9% (male
                                        151,976; female 210,832) (2002 est.)
                Population growth rate: 2.64% (2002 est.)
                            Birth rate: 44.34 births/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                            Death rate: 17.07 deaths/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                    Net migration rate: -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population
                                        (2002 est.)
                             Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
                                        under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
                                        15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
                                        65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/
                                        female
                                        total population: 0.96 male(s)/
                                        female (2002 est.)
                 Infant mortality rate: 105.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
                                        est.)
              Life expectancy at birth: total population: 46.11 years
                                        female: 46.78 years (2002 est.)
                                        male: 45.45 years
                  Total fertility rate: 6.26 children born/woman (2002 est.)
      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 6.44% (1999 est.)
     HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 350,000 (1999 est.)
                                  AIDS:
                     HIV/AIDS - deaths: 43,000 (1999 est.)
                           Nationality: noun: Burkinabe (singular and
                                        plural)
                                        adjective: Burkinabe
                         Ethnic groups: Mossi over 40%, Gurunsi, Senufo,
                                        Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani
                             Religions: 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
                              Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
                                        and write
                                        total population: 36% (2001)
                                        male: NA%
                                        female: NA%
  
   Government Burkina Faso
   -----------------------
                          Country name: conventional long form: none
                                        conventional short form: Burkina
                                        Faso
                                        former: Upper Volta, Republic of
                                        Upper Volta
                       Government type: parliamentary republic
                               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
                                        note: a new electoral code was
                                        approved by the National Assembly in
                                        January 1997; the number of
                                        administrative provinces was
                                        increased from 30 to 45 (Bale, Bam,
                                        Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou,
                                        Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou,
                                        Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba,
                                        Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komandjari,
                                        Kompienga, Kossi, Koupelogo,
                                        Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba,
                                        Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri,
                                        Namentenga, Nayala, Naumbiel,
                                        Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni,
                                        Samentenga, Sanguie, Seno, Sissili,
                                        Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha,
                                        Yatenga, Ziro, Zondomo, Zoundweogo),
                                        however, this change has not yet
                                        been confirmed by the US Board on
                                        Geographic Names
                          Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France)
                      National holiday: Republic Day, 11 December (1958)
                          Constitution: 2 June 1991 approved by referendum;
                                        11 June 1991 formally adopted
                          Legal system: based on French civil law system and
                                        customary law
                              Suffrage: universal
                      Executive branch: chief of state: President Blaise
                                        COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
                                        head of government: Prime Minister
                                        Ernest Paramanga YONLI (since 6
                                        November 2000)
                                        cabinet: Council of Ministers
                                        appointed by the president on the
                                        recommendation of the prime minister
  
                                        election results: Blaise COMPAORE
                                        reelected president with 87.5%
                                        percent of the vote
                                        note: President COMPAORE faces an
                                        increasingly well-coordinated
                                        opposition; recent charges against a
                                        former member of his Presidential
                                        Guard in the 1998 assassination of a
                                        newspaper editor signify an attempt
                                        to defuse chronic areas of
                                        dissatisfaction
                                        elections: president elected by
                                        popular vote for a five-year term;
                                        election last held 15 November 1998
                                        (next to be held NA 2005); in April
                                        2000, the constitution was amended
                                        reducing the presidential term from
                                        seven to five years, enforceable as
                                        of 2005, and allowing the president
                                        to be reelected only once; it is
                                        unclear whether this amendment will
                                        be applied retroactively or not;
                                        prime minister appointed by the
                                        president with the consent of the
                                        legislature
                    Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or
                                        Assemblee Nationale (111 seats;
                                        members are elected by popular vote
                                        to serve five-year terms)
                                        election results: percent of vote by
                                        party - NA%; seats by party - CDP
                                        57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5,
                                        PAI 5, others 17
                                        elections: National Assembly
                                        election last held 5 May 2002 (next
                                        to be held NA May 2007)
                       Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court
         Political parties and leaders: African Democratic Rally-Alliance
                                        for Democracy and Federation or RDA-
                                        ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Confederation
                                        for Federation and Democracy or CFD
                                        [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress
                                        for Democracy and Progress or CDP
                                        [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE];
                                        Movement for Tolerance and Progress
                                        or MTP [Noyabtigungu Congo KABORE];
                                        Party for African Independence or
                                        PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for
                                        Democracy and Progress or PDP
                                        [Joseph KI-ZERBO]; Union of Greens
                                        for the Development of Burkina Faso
                                        or UVDB [Ram OVEDRAGO]
          Political pressure groups and Burkinabe General Confederation of
                               leaders: Labor or CGTB; Burkinabe Movement
                                        for Human Rights or MBDHP; Group of
                                        14 February; National Confederation
                                        of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB;
                                        National Organization of Free Unions
                                        or ONSL; watchdog/political action
                                        groups throughout the country in
                                        both organizations and communities
             International organization ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS,
                         participation: Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
                                        ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
                                        IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
                                        Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
                                        (subscriber), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU,
                                        OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
                                        UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU,
                                        WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
                                        WTrO
   Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Tertius
                                        ZONGO
                                        chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue
                                        NW, Washington, DC 20008
                                        FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882
                                        telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577
     Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Jimmy
                                    US: J. KOLKER
                                        embassy: 2440 Ouagadougou Place,
                                        Ouagadougou
                                        mailing address: 01 B. P. 35,
                                        Ouagadougou 01
                                        telephone: [226] 306723
                                        FAX: [226] 303890
                      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 Burkina Faso
   --------------------
                    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
                                        90% 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 macroeconomic
                                        progress depends on continued low
                                        inflation, reduction in the trade
                                        deficit, and reforms designed to
                                        encourage private investment.
                                   GDP: purchasing power parity - $12.8
                                        billion (2001 est.)
                GDP - real growth rate: 4.7% (2001 est.)
                      GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,040
                                        (2001 est.)
           GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 31%
                                        industry: 28%
                                        services: 41% (2000)
         Population below poverty line: 45% (2001 est.)
     Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.2%
                      percentage share: highest 10%: 39.5% (1994)
   Distribution of family income - Gini 48.2 (1994)
                                 index:
      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.5% (2001 est.)
                           Labor force: 5 million (1999)
                                        note: a large part of the male labor
                                        force migrates annually to
                                        neighboring countries for seasonal
                                        employment
           Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 90% (2000 est.)
                     Unemployment rate: NA%
                                Budget: revenues: $316 million
                                        expenditures: $NA, including capital
                                        expenditures of $NA (2001)
                            Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural
                                        processing, soap, cigarettes,
                                        textiles, gold
     Industrial production growth rate: 14% (2001 est.)
              Electricity - production: 282 million kWh (2000)
    Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 70.92%
                                        hydro: 29.08%
                                        other: 0% (2000)
                                        nuclear: 0%
             Electricity - consumption: 262.26 million kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
                Agriculture - products: peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton,
                                        sorghum, millet, corn, rice;
                                        livestock
                               Exports: $265 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
                 Exports - commodities: cotton, animal products, gold
                    Exports - partners: Venezuela 14.7%, Benelux 12.2%,
                                        Italy 9.6%, France 7.0% (2000)
                               Imports: $580 million (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
                 Imports - commodities: capital goods, food products,
                                        petroleum
                    Imports - partners: Cote d'Ivoire 25.1%, Venezuela
                                        23.4%, France 17.0% (2000)
                       Debt - external: $1.5 billion (1999)
              Economic aid - recipient: $484.1 million (1995)
                              Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine
                                        franc (XOF); note - responsible
                                        authority is the Central Bank of the
                                        West African States
                         Currency code: XOF
                        Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine
                                        francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79
                                        (January 2002), 733.04 (2001),
                                        711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95
                                        (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1
                                        January 1999, the XOF is pegged to
                                        the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF
                                        per euro
                           Fiscal year: calendar year
  
   Communications Burkina Faso
   ---------------------------
          Telephones - main lines in use: 53,200 (2000)
            Telephones - mobile cellular: 25,200 (2000)
                        Telephone system: general assessment: 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 3, FM 17, shortwave 3 (2002)
                                  Radios: 394,020 (2000)
           Television broadcast stations: 1 (2001)
                             Televisions: 131,340 (2002)
                   Internet country code: .bf
       Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 4 (2001)
                          Internet users: 10,000 (2001)
  
   Transportation Burkina Faso
   ---------------------------
                              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 (1996)
                             Waterways: none
                     Ports and harbors: none
                              Airports: 33 (2001)
         Airports - with paved runways: total: 2
                                        over 3,047 m: 1
                                        2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2001)
       Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 31
                                        1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
                                        914 to 1,523 m: 12
                                        under 914 m: 16 (2001)
  
   Military Burkina Faso
   ---------------------
                       Military branches: Army, Air Force, National
                                          Gendarmerie, National Police,
                                          People's Militia
        Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,688,072 (2002
                                          est.)
     Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 1,379,010 (2002
                                 service: est.)
           Military expenditures - dollar $40.1 million (FY01)
                                  figure:
       Military expenditures - percent of 1.4% (FY01)
                                     GDP:
  
   Transnational Issues Burkina Faso
   ---------------------------------
                Disputes - international: two villages are in dispute with
                                          Benin
  
                                       



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