Population: 13,925,313
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 2005 est.)
Capital: Ouagadougou
Languages: French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population
Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
Government: parliamentary republic
Climate: tropical;
warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain: mostly flat to dissected, undulating
plains; hills in west and southeast
Geography: landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas
Ethnic groups: Mossi over 40%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani
Economy: 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 harsh climatic conditions. Cotton is the key
crop and the government has joined with other cotton producing countries in the region 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.
GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2005 est.)
GDP real growth: 5% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Internet country code: .bf
Dial code: +226
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.