| Key Demographic
Features of Burkina Faso* |
|
Geography
Location: Western Africa, north of Ghana
Map references: Africa
People
Population: 10,623,323 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,569,806; female 2,537,106)
15-64 years: 49% (male 2,444,601; female 2,738,726)
65 years and over: 3% (male 145,479; female 187,605)
(July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.53% (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 117.8 deaths/1,000 live births
(1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 43.21 years
male: 43.46 years
female: 42.95 years (1996 est.)
Ethnic divisions: Mossi about 24%, Gurunsi, Senufo,
Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani
Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%,
Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
Languages: French (official), tribal languages
belonging to Sudanic family, spoken by 90% of the population
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995
est.)
total population: 19.2%
male: 29.5%
female: 9.2%
Government
Country Abbreviation: UV
Type of government: parliamentary
Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 4
August (1983)
Constitution: 2 June 1991
Legal system: based on French civil law system and
customary law
Suffrage: none
\i Assembly of People's Deputies: elections last held 24 May
1992 (next to be held NA 1997); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (107 total), ODP-MT 78, CNPP-PSD 12, RDA 6,
ADF 4, other 7
note: the current law also provides for a second
consultative chamber, which has not been formally constituted
Judicial branch: Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders: Organization for
People's Democracy - Labor Movement (ODP-MT), ruling party,
Secretary General Simon COMPAORE; National Convention of
Progressive Patriots-Social Democratic Party (CNPP-PSD),
Moussa BOLY; African Democratic Rally (RDA), Gerard Kango
OUEDRAOGO; Alliance for Democracy and Federation (ADF), Amadou
Michel NANA
Other political or pressure groups: committees for the
defense of the revolution; watchdog/political action groups
throughout the country in both organizations and communities
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP,
AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gaetan R. OUEDRAOGO
chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577, 6895
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald J. MCCONNELL
embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou
mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou
telephone: [226] 306723 through 306725
FAX: [226] 303890
Flag: 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
Economic overview: One of the poorest countries in the
world, Burkina Faso has a high population density and a high
population growth rate, few natural resources, and a fragile
soil. Economic development is hindered by a poor
communications network within a landlocked country.
Agriculture is mainly subsistence farming. Industry remains
dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations.
Following the Communaute Financiere Africaine currency
devaluation on 12 January 1994, exports appear to have risen,
but no official figures have been released yet. The upswing
apparently continued in 1995, with growth perhaps at 4%. The
government has updated its development program in conjunction
with international agencies, yet even with the best of plans,
the government faces formidable problems on all sides.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.4 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: 4% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $700 (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Communications
Telephones: 21,000 (1993 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 49,000 (1991 est.)
Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police,
People's Militia
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 2,149,485
males fit for military service: 1,101,184 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $104
million, 6.4% of GDP (1994)
*Source: World Factbook 1996, U.S.
Central Intelligence Agency
The World Factbook contains many additional demographic
variables that may be of interest to persons who wish to
examine a particular country in more depth. To access the
World Factbook, Click
Here.
|
|
