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Burkina Faso

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Countries

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   Burkina Faso

   Flag of Burkina Faso Coat of arms of Burkina Faso
   Flag                 Coat of arms
   Motto: "Unité, Progrès, Justice"  (French)
   "Unity, Progress, Justice")
   Anthem: Une Seule Nuit  (French)
   "One Single Night"
   Location of Burkina Faso
   Capital
   (and largest city) Ouagadougou
   12°20′N 1°40′W
   Official languages French
   Government Parliamentary system
    - President Blaise Compaoré
    - Prime Minister Paramanga Ernest Yonli
   Independence from France
    - Date August 5, 1960
   Area
    - Total 274,000 km² ( 74th)
   105,792 sq mi
    - Water (%) 0.1%
   Population
    - 2005 estimate 13,228,000 ( 66th)
    - 1996 census 10,312,669
    - Density 48/km² ( 145th)
   124/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2005 estimate
    - Total $16.845 billion^1 ( 117th)
    - Per capita $1,284 ( 163rd)
   HDI  (2004) 0.342 (low) ( 174th)
   Currency CFA franc ( XOF)
   Time zone GMT ( UTC)
   Internet TLD .bf
   Calling code +226
   ^1 The data here is an estimation for the year 2005 produced by the
   International Monetary Fund in April 2005.

   Burkina Faso is a landlocked nation in West Africa. It is surrounded by
   six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the south
   east, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the south west.
   Formerly the Republic of Upper Volta, it was renamed on August 4, 1984
   by President Thomas Sankara to mean "the land of upright people" (or
   "upright land") in Mossi and Dioula, the major native languages of the
   country. Independence from France came 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 Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana in search of paid
   labour. The inhabitants of Burkina Faso are known as Burkinabè or
   Burkinabé ( pronounced [burkiːnəˈbeː]).

History

Prehistory

   Like all of the west of Africa, Burkina Faso was populated early,
   notably by hunter-gatherers in the northwestern part of the country
   (12,000 to 5000 BC), and whose tools (scrapers, chisels and arrowheads)
   were discovered in 1973. Settlements appeared between 3600 and 2600 BC
   with farmers, the traces of whose structures leave the impression of
   relatively permanent buildings. The use of iron, ceramics and polished
   stone developed between 1500 and 1000 BC, as well as a preoccupation
   with spiritual matters, as shown by the burial remains which have been
   discovered.

   Relics of the Dogon are found in the centre-north, north and north west
   region. They left the area between the 15th and 16th centuries BC to
   settle in the cliffs of Bandiagara. Elsewhere, the remains of high
   walls are localised in the southwest of Burkina Faso (as well as in the
   Côte d'Ivoire), but the people who built them have not yet been
   definitely identified.

   Burkina Faso was a very important economic region for the Songhai
   Empire during the 15th and 16th centuries.

From colony to independence

   In 1896, the Mossi kingdom of Ouagadougou became a French protectorate
   after being defeated by French forces. In 1898, the majority of the
   region corresponding to Burkina Faso today was conquered. In 1904,
   these territories were integrated into French West Africa in the heart
   of the Upper-Senegal-Niger (Haut-Sénégal-Niger) colony.

   Its inhabitants participated in the First World War in the heart of the
   battalions of the Senegalese Infantry (Tirailleurs sénégalais). It was
   originally administered as part of Côte d'Ivoire colony, but became a
   separate colony in 1919. On March 1, 1919, François Charles Alexis
   Édouard Hesling became the first governor of the new colony of
   Upper-Volta, which was broken up September 5, 1932, being shared
   between the Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Niger.

   On September 4, 1947 Upper Volta was recreated with its 1932
   boundaries. On December 11, 1958, it achieved self-government, and
   became a republic and member of the Franco-African Community (La
   Communauté Franco-Africaine). Full independence was attained in 1960.
   The country's first military coup occurred in 1966; it returned to
   civilian rule in 1978. There was another coup, led by Saye Zerbo in
   1980, which in turn was overthrown in 1982. A counter-coup was launched
   in 1983, which left Captain Thomas Sankara in charge. The current
   president is Blaise Compaoré, who came to power in 1987 after a coup
   d'état that killed Thomas Sankara.

Politics

   President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, Source: Antônio Cruz
   Enlarge
   President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, Source: Antônio Cruz

   The constitution of June 2, 1991, established a semi-presidential
   government with a parliament (Assemblée) which can be dissolved by the
   President of the Republic, who is elected for a term of 5 years. The
   year 2000 saw a constitutional amendment reducing the presidential term
   from 7 to 5 years, which was enforced during the 2005 elections.
   Another change according to the amendment would have prevented sitting
   president Blaise Compaoré from being re-elected. However,
   notwithstanding a challenge by other presidential candidates, in
   October 2005 the constitutional council ruled that because Compaoré was
   already a sitting president in 2000, the amendment would not apply to
   him until the end of his second term in office. This cleared the way
   for his candidacy in the 2005 election. On November 13 Compaoré was
   reelected in a landslide due to a divided political opposition.

   The parliament consists of two chambers: the lower house (l'Assemblée
   Nationale) and the upper house (la Chambre des Représentants). There is
   also a constitutional chamber, composed of ten members, and an economic
   and social council whose roles are purely consultative.

Administrative divisions

   Burkina Faso is divided into 13 regions, 45 provinces, and 301
   departments:

   Regions: Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Centre, Centre-Est, Centre-Nord,
   Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Hauts-Bassins, Nord, Plateau-Central,
   Sahel, Sud-Ouest. Provinces: Balé, 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

   Departments: See Departments of Burkina Faso

Geography

   Map of Burkina Faso
   Enlarge
   Map of Burkina Faso
   Satellite image of Burkina Faso, generated from raster graphics data
   supplied by The Map Library
   Enlarge
   Satellite image of Burkina Faso, generated from raster graphics data
   supplied by The Map Library
   Tolotama Reforestation, Burkina Faso
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   Tolotama Reforestation, Burkina Faso

   Burkina Faso is made up of two major types of countryside:
     * The larger part of the country is covered by a peneplain which
       forms a gently undulating landscape with, in some areas, a few
       isolated hills, the last vestiges of a precambrian massif.

     * The south-west of the country forms a sandstone massif, where the
       highest peak is found: Ténakourou (749 m, 2,450 ft). The massif is
       bordered by sheer cliffs up to 150 metres (490  ft) high.

   The average altitude is 400 metres (1,300 ft) and the difference
   between the highest and lowest terrain is no greater than 600 metres
   (2,000 ft). Burkina Faso is therefore a relatively flat country, with a
   very few localised exceptions.

Hydrography

   The country owed its former name of Upper Volta to three rivers which
   cross it: le Mouhoun (formerly called the Black Volta), le Nakambé (the
   White Volta) and le Nazinon (the Red Volta). Le Mouhoun, along with la
   Comoé which flows to the south west, is the country's only river which
   flows year-round

   The basin of the Niger River also drains 27% of the country's surface.
   Its tributaries (le Béli, le Gorouol, le Goudébo and le Dargol) are
   seasonal streams, and only flow for 4 to 6 months a year but can cause
   large floods.

   The country also contains numerous lakes. The principal lakes are
   Tingrela, Bam and Dem, and the large ponds of Oursi, Béli, Yomboli and
   Markoye.

   Water shortages are often a problem, especially in the north of the
   country.

Climate

   Burkina Faso has a primarily tropical climate with two very distinct
   seasons: the rainy season with between 24-35 inches (600 and 900 mm) of
   rainfall, and the dry season during which the harmattan blows, a hot
   dry wind from the Sahara. The rainy season lasts approximately 4
   months, May/June to September, and is shorter in the north of the
   country.

   Three large climatic zones can be defined:

The Sahel Zone

   ( cut-and-paste — see reference cited or talk page) The Sahel in the
   north typically receives less than 24 inches (600 mm) rainfall a year
   and high temperatures 15–50 ° C (60–120 ° F). A relatively dry tropical
   savanna, the Sahel extends beyond the borders of Burkina Faso, from the
   Horn of Africa to the Atlantic Ocean, and borders the Sahara to its
   north, and the fertile region of the Sudan to the South.

The Sudan-Sahel zone

   Situated between 11°3' and 13°5' north latitude, the Sudan-Sahel region
   is a transitional zone with regards to rainfall and temperature.

The Sudan-Guinea zone

   Further to the south, the Sudan-Guinea zone receives more than 35
   inches (900 mm) rain a year and cooler average temperatures.

Economy

   Tarfila Farming Group
   Enlarge
   Tarfila Farming Group
   shop in Burkina Faso
   Enlarge
   shop in Burkina Faso
   vendors in Burkina Faso
   Enlarge
   vendors in Burkina Faso

   Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. This is
   represented numerically in its low GDP per capita income, $1,300. This
   ranks it as the 28th poorest nation, among other nations such as the
   Republic of the Congo and Tajikistan. This can be explained by its
   population growth and its arid soil. Agriculture represents 32% of its
   gross domestic product and occupies 80% of the working population. It
   consists mostly of livestock but also, especially in the south and
   southwest, of growing sorghum, millet, maize (corn), peanuts, rice and
   cotton.

   Lack of work causes a high rate of emigration: for example, three
   million people from Burkina Faso live in Côte d'Ivoire. According to
   the Central Bank of Western African States (La Banque Centrale des
   États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest), these migrants send tens of billions of
   CFA francs back to Burkina Faso each year. Since the 1967 expulsions
   from Ghana, this situation has provoked tensions in the destination
   countries. The most recent crisis occurred owing to the events of 2003
   in Côte d'Ivoire, which led to the return of 300,000 migrants.

   A large part of the economic activity of the country is funded by
   international aid.

   The currency of Burkina Faso is the CFA franc.

   There is mineral exploitation of copper, iron, manganese and, above
   all, gold.

   Burkina Faso also hosts the International Art and Craft Fair,
   Ouagadougou, better known by its French name as SIAO, Le Salon
   International de L Artisanat de Ouagadougou, one of the most important
   African handicraft fairs.

Demographics

   United Nations Square in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
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   United Nations Square in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
   Sala Well
   Enlarge
   Sala Well

   Burkina Faso has an estimated life expectancy at birth of slightly
   under 50 years of age. The median age of its inhabitants is under 17.

   Population growth rate: 2.71% (2000 est.)

   Population estimates 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 2000 est.): the 11,946,065 Burkinabè belong
   to two major West African cultural groups--the Voltaic and the Mande.
   The Voltaic are far more numerous and include the Mossi, who make up
   about one-half of the population. Additionally, about 5,000 Europeans
   live in Burkina Faso.

   The population is concentrated in the south and centre of the country,
   sometimes exceeding 48 per square kilometer (125/ sq. mi.). This high
   population density, causes annual migrations of hundreds of thousands,
   for seasonal employment.

   Approximately 50% of the population is Muslim; Christians account for
   about 30%, and followers of traditional African religions (typically
   animism of various forms) make up about 20%. Many Christians and
   Muslims incorporate elements of animism into their religious practices.

Education

   Education in Burkina Faso is structured primary, secondary, and higher
   education. Education is technically free and officially mandatory until
   the age of 16, however few Burkinabè have had formal education. Though
   schooling is free, attendance is not enforced, and only about 35% of
   Burkina's primary school-age children receive a basic education.
   Institutions of higher education include the University of Ouagadougou,
   and The Polytechnical University in Bobo-Dioulasso.

   There is also an International School of Ouagadougou, which is an
   American based private school, which is situated in the capital city,
   Ouagadougou.

   The United Nations Development Program Report places Burkina Faso as
   the most illiterate country in the world, with only a 12.8% literacy
   rate. (See List of countries by literacy rate.)
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burkina_Faso"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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