President: Blaise Compaoré (1987)
Prime Minister: Tertius Zongo (2007)
Land area: 105,714 sq mi (273,799 sq km); total area: 105,869 sq mi (274,200 sq km)
Population (2007 est.): 14,326,203 (growth rate: 3.0%); birth rate: 45.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 89.8/1000; life expectancy: 49.2; density per sq mi: 136
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Ouagadougou, 962,100
Monetary unit: CFA Franc
Languages: French (official); native African (Sudanic) languages 90%
Ethnicity/race: Mossi (over 40%), Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani
Religions: Islam 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
Literacy rate: 21.8% (2003 est.)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2006 est.): $17.87 billion; per capita $1,300. Real growth rate: 5.2%. Inflation: 4%. Unemployment: n.a. Arable land: 14%.
Agriculture: cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock. Labor force: 5 million; note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003); agriculture 90%, industry and services 10% (2000 est.). Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold.
Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt.
Exports: $543.5 million f.o.b. (2006 est.): cotton, livestock, gold. Imports: $1.016 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.): capital goods, food products, petroleum.
Major trading partners: China, Singapore, Ghana, Bangladesh, France, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo (2004).
Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 97,400 (2005); mobile cellular: 572,200 (2005). Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 3 (2002). Television broadcast stations: 1 (2002). Internet hosts: 442 (2003). Internet users: 64,600 (2005).
Transportation: Railways: total: 622 km (2004). Highways: total: 15,272 km km; paved: 4,766 km; unpaved: 10,506 km (2004). Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 34 (2006 est.).
International disputes: two villages are in dispute along the border with Benin; Benin accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; Burkina Faso border regions remain a staging area for Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire rebels and an asylum for refugees caught in local fighting; the Ivoirian Government accuses Burkina Faso of sheltering Ivoirian rebels.

Ouagadougou in 2 minutes
(01:59)

A glimpse into the multiple faces of the capital of Burkina Faso.

Geography

Slightly larger than Colorado, Burkina Faso, formerly known as Upper Volta, is a landlocked country in West Africa. Its neighbors are Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, and Ghana. The country consists of extensive plains, low hills, high savannas, and a desert area in the north.