232 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
232 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
BURKINA
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 274,200 km2; land area: 273,800 km2
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Comparative area: slightly larger than Colorado
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Land boundaries: 3,192 km total; Benin 306 km, Ghana 548 km,
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Ivory Coast 584 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
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Coastline: none--landlocked
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Maritime claims: none--landlocked
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Disputes: the disputed international boundary between Burkina and
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Mali was submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in October
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1983 and the ICJ issued its final ruling in December 1986, which both
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sides agreed to accept; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary
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demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
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Climate: tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
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Terrain: mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west
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and southeast
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Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits
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of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc,
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silver
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Land use: arable land 10%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
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pastures 37%; forest and woodland 26%; other 27%, includes irrigated
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NEGL%
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Environment: recent droughts and desertification severely affecting
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marginal agricultural activities, population distribution, economy;
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overgrazing; deforestation
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Note: landlocked
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PEOPLE
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Population: 9,359,889 (July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)
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Birth rate: 50 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 119 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 53 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 7.1 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Burkinabe; adjective--Burkinabe
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Ethnic divisions: more than 50 tribes; principal tribe is Mossi
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(about 2.5 million); other important groups are Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi,
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Bobo, Mande, and Fulani
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Religion: indigenous beliefs about 65%, Muslim 25%,
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Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
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Language: French (official); tribal languages belong to Sudanic
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family, spoken by 90% of the population
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Literacy: 18% (male 28%, female 9%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 3,300,000 residents; 30,000 are wage earners;
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agriculture 82%, industry 13%, commerce, services, and government 5%;
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20% of male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for
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seasonal employment (1984); 44% of population of working age (1985)
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Organized labor: four principal trade union groups represent less
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than 1% of population
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Burkina Faso
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Type: military; established by coup on 4 August 1983
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Capital: Ouagadougou
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Administrative divisions: 30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba,
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Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Kadiogo,
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Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri,
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Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno,
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Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Yatenga, Zoundweogo
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Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France; formerly Upper Volta)
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Constitution: none; constitution of 27 November 1977 was abolished
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following coup of 25 November 1980; constitutional referendum scheduled
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for June 1991
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Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law
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National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)
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Executive branch: chairman of the Popular Front, Council of
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Ministers
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Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee
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Nationale) was dissolved on 25 November 1980
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Judicial branch: Appeals Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--Chairman of the
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Popular Front Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
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Political parties and leaders: all political parties banned
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following November 1980 coup
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Suffrage: none
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Elections: the National Assembly was dissolved 25 November 1980;
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presidential elections are scheduled for 3 November 1991 and legislative
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elections for 8 December 1991
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Communists: small Communist party front group; some sympathizers
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Other political or pressure groups: committees for the defense of
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the revolution, watchdog/political action groups throughout the country
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in both organizations and communities
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Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO,
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FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
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INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
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UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Paul Desire KABORE;
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Chancery at 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
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telephone (202) 332-5577 or 6895;
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US--Ambassador Edward P. BRYNN; Embassy at Avenue Raoul Follerau,
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Ouagadougou (mailing address is 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou);
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telephone 226 30-67-23 through 25 and 226 33-34-22
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Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a
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yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular pan-African
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colors of Ethiopia
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ECONOMY
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Overview: One of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina
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has a high population density, few natural resources, and relatively
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infertile soil. Economic development is hindered by a poor communications
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network within a landlocked country. Agriculture provides about 40% of
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GDP and is entirely of a subsistence nature. Industry, dominated by
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unprofitable government-controlled corporations, accounts for about
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15% of GDP.
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GDP: $1.75 billion, per capita $205 (1988); real growth rate 3%
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(1989)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 0.5% (1989)
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Unemployment rate: NA%
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Budget: revenues $275 million; expenditures $287 million, including
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capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
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Exports: $262 million (f.o.b., 1989);
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commodities--oilseeds, cotton, live animals, gold;
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partners--EC 42% (France 30%, other 12%), Taiwan 17%,
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Ivory Coast 15% (1985)
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Imports: $619 million (f.o.b., 1989);
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commodities--grain, dairy products, petroleum, machinery;
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partners--EC 37% (France 23%, other 14%), Africa 31%, US 15%
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(1985)
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External debt: $962 million (December 1990 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate 5.7% (1990est.), accounts for
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about 15%
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of GDP (1988)
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Electricity: 121,000 kW capacity; 320 million kWh produced, 37
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kWh per capita (1989)
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Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing,
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soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
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Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP; cash crops--peanuts,
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shea nuts, sesame, cotton; food crops--sorghum, millet, corn, rice;
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livestock; not self-sufficient in food grains
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $294
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $2.7 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $113 million
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Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
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(plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
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Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991),
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272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30
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(1986), 449.26 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 620 km total; 520 km Ouagadougou to Ivory Coast border
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and 100 km Ouagadougou to Kaya; all 1.00-meter gauge and single track
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Highways: 16,500 km total; 1,300 km paved, 7,400 km improved,
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7,800 km unimproved (1985)
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Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 50 total, 43 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 7 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: all services only fair; radio relay, wire, and
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radio communication stations in use; 13,900 telephones; stations--2 AM,
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2 FM, 2 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,838,000; 937,304 fit for
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military service; no conscription
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Defense expenditures: $55 million, 2.7% of GDP (1988)
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