]! ^! 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. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. 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. 
]" ^" Western Africa, north of Ghana ^# 13 00 N, 2 00 W ^$ Africa ^% `! 274,200 sq km `" 273,800 sq km `# 400 sq km ^& slightly larger than Colorado ^' `! 3,193 km `Y Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km ^( 0 km (landlocked) ^) none (landlocked) ^* tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers ^+ mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast ^, `% Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m `& Tena Kourou 749 m ^- manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt ^. `' 17.66% `( 0.22% `) 82.12% (2005) ^/ 250 sq km (2003) ^0 recurring droughts ^1 recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation _P `P Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands `Q none of the selected agreements ^2 landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas 
]# ^3 14,326,203 `* 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 2007 est.) ^4 `+ 46.7% (male 3,356,737/female 3,327,058) `, 50.9% (male 3,635,152/female 3,650,303) `- 2.5% (male 141,554/female 215,399) (2007 est.) ^5 `! 16.5 years `. 16.3 years `/ 16.7 years (2007 est.) ^6 2.997% (2007 est.) ^7 45.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^8 15.31 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^9 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) ^: `0 1.03 male(s)/female `1 1.009 male(s)/female `, 0.996 male(s)/female `- 0.657 male(s)/female `2 0.992 male(s)/female (2007 est.) ^; `! 89.79 deaths/1,000 live births `. 97.55 deaths/1,000 live births `/ 81.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) ^< `2 49.21 years `. 47.68 years `/ 50.8 years (2007 est.) ^= 6.41 children born/woman (2007 est.) ^> 4.2% (2003 est.) ^? 300,000 (2003 est.) ^@ 29,000 (2003 est.) _` `h very high `i bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis `s meningococcal meningitis `* highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007) ^A `3 Burkinabe (singular and plural) `4 Burkinabe ^B Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani) ^C Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% ^D French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population ^E `5 age 15 and over can read and write `2 26.6% `. 36.9% `/ 16.6% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `6 none `7 Burkina Faso `Z none `[ Burkina Faso `\ Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta ^H parliamentary republic ^I `8 Ouagadougou `9 12 22 N, 1 31 W `: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ^J 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, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala, Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondoma, Zoundweogo ^K 5 August 1960 (from France) ^L Republic Day, 11 December (1958) ^M 2 June 1991 approved by referendum, 11 June 1991 formally adopted; last amended January 2002 ^N based on French civil law system and customary law ^O universal ^P `; President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987) `< Prime Minister Paramanga Ernest YONLI (since 6 November 2000) `= Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister `> president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 November 2005 (next to be held in 2010); in April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005; prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature `? Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.3%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 4.9% ^Q unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) `> National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to be held in May 2007) `? percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5, PAI 5, other 17 ^R Supreme Court; Appeals Court ^S African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF-RDA [Gilbert OUEDRAOGO]; 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 [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and Progress/Socialist Party or PDP/PS [Ali LANKOANDE]; Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Ram OUEDRAGO]; Republican Party for Integration and Solidarity or PARIS [Cyril GOUNGOUNGA]; Union for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY] ^T Burkinabe General Confederation of 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 ^U ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ^V `R Ambassador Tertius ZONGO `S 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 `T [1] (202) 332-5577 `U [1] (202) 667-1882 ^W `R Ambassador Jeanine E. JACKSON `_ 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4 `` 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440 `T [226] 50-30-67-23 `U [226] 50-30-38-90, 50-31-23-68 ^X 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 
]% ^Y One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. About 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, which is vulnerable to periodic drought. Cotton is the main cash crop and the government has joined with three other cotton producing countries in the region - Mali, Niger, and Chad - to lobby for improved access to Western markets. GDP growth has largely been driven by increases in world cotton prices. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations. Following the CFA franc currency devaluation in January 1994, the government updated its development program in conjunction with international agencies; exports and economic growth have increased. The government devolved macroeconomic policy and inflation targeting to the West African regional central bank (BCEAO), but maintains control over fiscal and microeconomic policies, including implementing reforms to encourage private investment. The bitter internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire continues to hurt trade and industrial prospects and deepens the need for international assistance. Burkina Faso is eligible for a Millennium Challenge Account grant, which would increase investment in the country's human capital. ^Z $17.87 billion (2006 est.) ^[ $5.821 billion (2006 est.) ^\ 5.2% (2006 est.) ^] $1,300 (2006 est.) ^^ `@ 32.6% `A 19.7% `B 47.7% (2006 est.) ^_ 5 million `* a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003) ^` `@ 90% industry and services: 10% (2000 est.) ^a NA% _! 45% (2003 est.) _" `C 2% `D 46.8% (1994) _d 48.2 (1998) _# 4% (2006 est.) _V 20.5% of GDP (2006 est.) _$ `E $1.158 billion `F $1.714 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) _& cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock _' cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold _( 14% (2001 est.) _) 400 million kWh (2004) _* 372 million kWh (2004) _+ 0 kWh (2004) _, 0 kWh (2004) _- 0 bbl/day (2004) _. 8,200 bbl/day (2004 est.) _/ NA bbl/day _0 NA bbl/day _1 0 cu m (2004 est.) _2 0 cu m (2004 est.) _Q $-604.6 million (2006 est.) _3 $543.5 million f.o.b. (2006 est.) _4 cotton, livestock, gold _5 China 39.7%, Singapore 13%, Thailand 5.9%, Ghana 5.4%, Taiwan 4.6% (2005) _6 $1.016 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) _7 capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum _8 France 23.7%, Cote d'Ivoire 23.3%, Togo 6.7% (2005) _[ $1.328 billion (2006 est.) _9 $1.85 billion (2003) _: $468.4 million (2003) _; Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States _< Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002) _= calendar year 
]& _> 97,400 (2005) _? 572,200 (2005) _@ `G all services only fair `H microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations `I country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) _A AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 3 (2002) _B 1 (2002) _C .bf _D 399 (2006) _E 64,600 (2005) 
]' _F 34 (2006) _G `! 2 `a 1 `J 1 (2006) _R `! 32 `b 3 `c 11 `W 18 (2006) _e `! 622 km `n 622 km 1.000-m gauge `*  another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire (2005) _H `! 15,272 km `K 4,766 km `L 10,506 km (2004) 
]( _J Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso), National Gendarmerie (2006) _T 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 20 years of age for voluntary military service (2001) _K males age 18-49: 2,651,687 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 1,530,324 (2005 est.) _U 1.3% (2006 est.) 
]) _N two villages remain in dispute along the border with Benin; Benin accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; in recent years citizens and rogue security forces rob and harass local populations on both sides of the poorly-defined Burkina Faso-Niger border; despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send their migrant workers to work in Ivorian cocoa plantations 