Introduction:
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.
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Geography
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Climate
OUAGADOUGOU 12 35 N, 1 51 W, 1003 feet (306 meters) above sea level.
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PEOPLE
Burkina Faso's 13.9 million people belong to two major West African cultural
groups--the Voltaic and the Mande (whose common language is Dioula). The Voltaic
Mossi make up about one-half of the population. The Mossi claim descent from
warriors who migrated to present-day Burkina Faso from Ghana and established an
empire that lasted more than 800 years. Predominantly farmers, the Mossi kingdom
is still led by the Mogho Naba, whose court is in Ouagadougou.
Burkina Faso is an ethnically integrated, secular state. Most of Burkina's
people are concentrated in the south and center of the country, sometimes
exceeding 48 per square kilometer (125/sq. mi.). This population density, high
for Africa, causes migrations of hundreds of thousands of Burkinabe to Cote
d'Ivoire and Ghana, many for seasonal agricultural work. These flows of workers
are obviously affected by external events; the September 2002 coup attempt in
Cote d'Ivoire and the ensuing fighting there have meant that hundreds of
thousands of Burkinabe returned to Burkina Faso. A plurality of Burkinabe are
Muslim, but most also adhere to traditional African religions. The introduction
of Islam to Burkina Faso was initially resisted by the Mossi rulers. Christians,
both Roman Catholics and Protestants, comprise about 25% of the population, with
their largest concentration in urban areas.
Female genital mutilation, child labor, child trafficking, and social exclusion
of accused sorcerers remain serious problems, although the government has taken
steps in recent years to combat these phenomena. Workers and civil servants
generally have the right to organize unions, engage in collective bargaining,
and strike for better pay and working conditions. Few Burkinabe have had formal
education. Schooling is in theory free and compulsory until the age of 16, but
only about 44% of Burkina's primary school-age children are enrolled in primary
school due to actual costs of school supplies and school fees and to opportunity
costs of sending a child who could earn money for the family to school. The
University of Ouagadougou, founded in 1974, was the country's first institution
of higher education. The Polytechnical University in Bobo-Dioulasso was opened
in 1995.
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Population: |
14,326,203 |
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 46.7% (male 3,356,737/female
3,327,058) |
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Population growth rate: |
2.997% (2007 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
45.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Death rate: |
15.31 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 89.79 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 49.21 years |
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Total fertility rate: |
6.41 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
4.2% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
300,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
29,000 (2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases: |
degree of risk: very high |
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Nationality: |
noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural) |
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Ethnic groups: |
Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani) |
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Religions: |
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% |
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Languages: |
French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and
write |
HISTORY
Until the end of the 19th century, the history of Burkina Faso was dominated by
the empire-building Mossi. The French arrived and claimed the area in 1896, but
Mossi resistance ended only with the capture of their capital Ouagadougou in
1901. The colony of Upper Volta was established in 1919, but it was dismembered
and reconstituted several times until the present borders were recognized in
1947.
The French administered the area indirectly through Mossi authorities until
independence was achieved on August 5, 1960. The first President, Maurice
Yameogo, amended the constitution soon after taking office to ban opposition
political parties. His government lasted until 1966, when the first of several
military coups placed Lt. Col. Sangoule Lamizana at the head of a government of
senior army officers. Lamizana remained in power throughout the 1970s, as
President of military and then elected governments.
With the support of unions and civil groups, Col. Saye Zerbo overthrew President
Lamizana in 1980. Colonel Zerbo also encountered resistance from trade unions
and was overthrown 2 years later by Maj. Dr. Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo and the
Council of Popular Salvation (CSP). Factional infighting developed between
moderates in the CSP and radicals led by Capt. Thomas Sankara, who was appointed
Prime Minister in January 1983, but was subsequently arrested. Efforts to bring
about his release, directed by Capt. Blaise Compaore, resulted in yet another
military coup d'etat, led by Sankara and Compaore on August 4, 1983.
Sankara established the National Revolutionary Committee with himself as
President and vowed to 'mobilize the masses.' But the committee's membership
remained secret and was dominated by Marxist-Leninist military officers. In
1984, Upper Volta changed its name to Burkina Faso, meaning 'the country of
honorable people.' But many of the strict security and austerity measures taken
by Sankara provoked resistance. Despite his initial popularity and personal
charisma, Sankara was assassinated in a coup which brought Capt. Blaise Compaore
to power in October 1987.
Compaore pledged to pursue the goals of the revolution but to 'rectify'
Sankara's 'deviations' from the original aims. In fact, Compaore reversed most
of Sankara's policies and combined the leftist party he headed with more
centrist parties after the 1989 arrest and execution of two colonels who had
supported Compaore and governed with him up to that point.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
With Compaore alone at the helm, a democratic constitution was approved by
referendum in 1991. In December 1991, Compaore was elected President, running
unopposed after the opposition boycotted the election. The opposition did
participate in the following year's legislative elections, in which the ruling
party won a majority of seats.
The government of the Fourth Republic includes a strong presidency, a prime
minister, a Council of Ministers presided over by the president, a unicameral
National Assembly, and the judiciary. The legislature and judiciary are
nominally independent but remain susceptible to executive influence.
Burkina held multiparty municipal elections in 1995 and 2000 and legislative
elections in 1997 and 2002. Balloting was considered largely free and fair in
all elections. The Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP), the governing
party, won overwhelming majorities in all the elections until the 2002
legislative election, where the CDP won with a small majority of the 111 seats.
The opposition made large gains in the 2002 elections. Elections were held again
in May 2007.
Compaore won the November 1998 presidential election for a second 7-year term
against two minor-party candidates. But within weeks of Compaore's victory the
domestic opposition took to the streets to protest the December 13, 1998 murder
of leading independent journalist Norbert Zongo, whose investigations of the
death of the President's brother's chauffeur suggested involvement of the
Compaore family.
The opposition Collective Against Impunity--led by human rights activist Halidou
Ouedraogo and including opposition political parties of Prof. Joseph Ki-Zerbo
and (for a while) Hermann Yameogo, son of the first President--challenged
Compaore and his government to bring Zongo's murderers to justice and make
political reforms. The Zongo killings still resonate in Burkina politics, though
not as strongly as in the past. There has been no significant progress on the
investigation of the case.
Compaore was re-elected to the presidency for a 5-year term in November 2005.
The current cabinet is dominated by Compaore and the CDP. Given the fragile
roots of democratic institutions, constitutional checks and balances are seldom
effective in practice. The constitution was amended in 2000 to limit the
president to a 5-year term, renewable once, beginning with the November 2005
election. The amendment is controversial because it did not make any mention of
retroactivity, meaning that President Compaore's eligibility to present himself
for the 2005 presidential election is a matter of debate. The Constitutional
Court ruled in October 2005 that the amendment was not retroactive, and Compaore
went on to win the November 2005 presidential election with over 80% of the
vote. International and national electoral observers mostly believed that the
election was fair.
Principal Government Officials
President--Blaise Compaore
Prime Minister--Tertius Zongo
Ministers
Economy and Development--Seydou Bouda
Foreign Affairs--Youssouf Ouedraogo
Justice--Boureima Badini
Defense--Yero Boly
Security--Djibril Yipene Bassole
Territorial Administration and Decentralization--Moumouni Fabre
Commerce, Enterprise Promotion and Handicrafts--Benoit Outtara
Mines and Energy--Abdoulaye Abdoulkader Cisse
Higher Education and Scientific Research--Laya Sawadogo
Information--Joseph Kahoun
Basic Education and Mass Literacy--Mathieu Ouedraogo
Infrastructure, Housing and Transport--Hippolyte Lingani
Civil Service and Institutional Development--Lassane Sawadogo
Employment, Labor, and Social Security--Alain Ludovic Tou
Agriculture, Water, and Water Resources--Salif Diallo
Environment and Standard of Living--Laurent Sedogo
Regional Cooperation--Jean de Dieu Somda
Parliamentary Relations--Adama Fofana
Communications and Culture--Kilimite Theodore Hien
Health--Bedouma Alain Yoda
Sports and Leisure--Tioundoun Sessouma
Transport and Tourism--Salvador Yameogo
Telecommunications and Post--Justin Tieba Thiombiano
Arts, Culture, and Tourism--Mahamoudou Ouedraogo
Social and Family Affairs--Mariam Lamizana
Animal Resources--Alphonse Bonou
Human Rights Promotion--Monique Ilboudo
Women's Affairs--Gisele Guigma
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ECONOMY
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, with a per capita
gross domestic product (GDP) of $424. More than 80% of the population relies on
subsistence agriculture, with only a small fraction directly involved in
industry and services. Drought, poor soil, lack of adequate communications and
other infrastructure, a low literacy rate, and an economy vulnerable to external
shocks are all longstanding problems. The export economy also remains subject to
fluctuations in world prices.
Burkina remains committed to the structural adjustment program it launched in
1991, and it has been one of the first beneficiaries of the World
Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt-relief and poverty reduction
programs for highly indebted poor countries. At least 20% of the government
budget is financed from international aid, and the majority of infrastructure
investments are externally financed. Growth rates had been more than 5% from the
late 1990s through 2003.
Many Burkinabe migrate to neighboring countries for work, and their remittances
provide a contribution to the economy's balance of payments that is second only
to cotton as a source of foreign exchange earnings. Political and economic
problems in Cote d'Ivoire have had a direct impact on this source of revenue for
millions of Burkina households. The military crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire
negatively affected trade between the two countries, due to the year-long
closure of the border between Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire from September 2002
to September 2003. Goods and services, as well as remittances, continue to flow
from Burkinabe living in Cote d'Ivoire, but they have been rerouted through
other countries in the region, such as Togo, Ghana, and Benin. Commercial and
personal traffic across the border is slowly rebuilding steam.
Burkina is attempting to improve the economy by developing its mineral
resources, improving its infrastructure, making its agricultural and livestock
sectors more productive and competitive, and stabilizing the supplies and prices
of food grains. Staple crops are millet, sorghum, maize, and rice. The cash
crops are cotton, groundnuts, karite (shea nuts), and sesame. Livestock, once a
major export, has declined.
Manufacturing is limited to cotton and food processing (mainly in
Bobo-Dioulasso) and import substitution heavily protected by tariffs. Some
factories are privately owned, and others are set to be privatized. Burkina's
exploitable natural resources are limited, although deposits of manganese, zinc,
and gold have attracted the interest of international mining firms.
A railway connects Burkina with the port of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, 1,150
kilometers (712 mi.) away. Due to the closure of the border with Cote d'Ivoire,
this railway was not operational between September 2002 and September 2003, but
cargo and limited passenger service are now offered. Primary roads between main
towns in Burkina Faso are paved. Domestic air service and flights within Africa
are limited. Phones and Internet service providers are relatively reliable, but
the cost of utilities is very high.
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