Facts about Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso Flag

Location: formerly Upper Volta is a landlocked country in West Africa.
Neighbours: It is neighboured by 6 countries namely Mali (north); Niger (east); Benin (south east); Côte d’Ivoire (south west); and Togo and Ghana (south).
Capital City: Ouagadougou.
Residents: known as Burkinabè
Independence: Full self governing was attained in 1960.
History: Country was originally administered as part of Côte d’Ivoire colony.
Topography: Burkina Faso comprises of two major types of countryside with an average altitude is 400m and the difference between the highest and lowest terrain is no greater than 600m. Generally, this is a relatively flat country with a very few localised exceptions. The larger part of the country is occupied by a peneplain which forms a gently undulating landscape with, in some areas, a few isolated hills, and the last vestiges of a Precambrian massif. The south-west forms a sandstone massif, where the highest peak Ténakourou 749 m is found. The basin of the Niger River drains 27% of the country’s surface whose tributaries of le Béli, le Gorouol, le Goudébo and le Dargol is seasonal streams and only flow for 4 to 6 months a year. Other prominent lakes include Tingrela, Bam and Dem, and the large ponds of Oursi, Béli, Yomboli, and Markoye.
Climate: Burkina Faso has experiences a tropical climate with two marked 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.
Government: It is headed by a constitutional President the real power center in the political structure elected by popular vote for a seven-year term. No limit in the number of terms for the president. Country has a parliament – the Assemblée Nationale with two chambers consisting of 111 members elected by popular vote every five years. Representatives are of religious groups, traditional rulers, trade unions, women’s organizations and other social groups. The cabinet has thirty-five ministers headed by the Prime Minister who is appointed by the president. Administratively Burkina Faso is divided into 13 regions, 45 provinces, and 301 departments.
National Holidays: National holidays honor independence and the Sankara revolution: On 11 December 1959, the Republic was proclaimed and on 5 August 1960, Upper Volta

Burkinabe Boys

became independent.
Population: Burkina Faso’s population stands at 12,603,185. (2002 estimate) It is mainly concentrated in the south and center of the country, sometimes exceeding 48 per sq km. Annual migrations of hundreds of thousands are common due to seasonal employment. Population growth rate is 2.71% (2000 est.)
Life expectancy: An estimated life expectancy at birth is slightly less than 50 years of age.
Mortality Rates: High prevalence of AIDS has resulted into low life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates in the country.
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. The United Nations Development Program Report places Burkina Faso as the most illiterate country in the world, with only a 12.8% literacy rate.
Religion: Approximately 45% continue to hold traditional beliefs. About 43% of the population is Muslim, Christianity, spread by missionaries in colonial times, accounts for 12% more among the urban elite.