Burkina Faso

Location

• Western Africa, north of Ghana
• landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers, the Black, Red, and White Voltas

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Ouagadougou	2,415,266	Capital
Bobo-Dioulasso	904,920
Koudougou	160,239
Saaba	136,011
Ouahigouya	124,587
Kaya	121,970
Banfora	117,452
Pouytenga	96,469
Houndé	87,151
Fada N'gourma	73,200

Size

• 105,869 square miles
• 274,200 square kilometers
• slightly larger than Colorado

History

Many of Burkina Faso’s ethnic groups arrived in the region between the 12th and 15th centuries. The Gurma and Mossi peoples established several of the largest kingdoms in the area and used horse-mounted warriors in military campaigns. Of the various Mossi kingdoms, the most powerful were Ouagadougou and Yatenga. In the late 19th century, European states competed for control of the region. France eventually conquered the area and established it as a French protectorate. The country achieved independence from France in 1960 and changed its name to Burkina Faso in 1984. Repeated military coups were common in the country’s first few decades. In 1987 Blaise COMPAORE deposed the president, established a government, and ruled for 27 years. In 2014, COMPAORE resigned after protests against his repeated efforts to amend the constitution's two-term presidential limit. An interim administration led a year-long transition, organizing presidential and legislative elections. In 2015, Roch Marc Christian KABORE was elected president, and he was reelected in 2020. In 2022, the military conducted two takeovers: In January, army colonel Paul Henri DAMIBA overthrew KABORE in a coup d'etat, and then in September, army captain Ibrahim TRAORE deposed DAMIBA and declared himself transition president. The transition government planned to hold elections by July 2024, but they may be delayed due to security concerns.Terrorist groups -- including groups affiliated with Al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State -- began attacks in the country in 2016 and conducted attacks in the capital in 2016, 2017, and 2018. By early 2023, insecurity in Burkina Faso had displaced more than 2 million people and led to significant jumps in humanitarian needs and food insecurity. In addition to terrorism, the country faces a myriad of problems including high population growth, recurring drought, pervasive and perennial food insecurity, and limited natural resources. It is one of the world’s poorest countries.

Climate

three climate zones including a hot tropical savanna with a short rainy season in the southern half, a tropical hot semi-arid steppe climate typical of the Sahel region in the northern half, and small area of hot desert in the very north of the country bordering the Sahara Desert

Terrain

mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in the west and southeast; occupies an extensive plateau with savanna that is grassy in the north and gradually gives way to sparse forests in the south

Languages

Mossi 52.9%, Fula 7.8%, Gourmantche 6.8%, Dyula 5.7%, Bissa 3.3%, Gurunsi 3.2%, French (official) 2.2%, Bwamu 2%, Dagara 2%, San 1.7%, Marka 1.6%, Bobo 1.5%, Senufo 1.5%, Lobi 1.2%, other 6.6% (2019 est.)

Religions

Muslim 63.8%, Roman Catholic 20.1%, Animiste 9%, Protestant 6.2%, other 0.2%, none 0.7% (2019 est.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: several previous; latest approved by referendum 2 June 1991, adopted 11 June 1991, temporarily suspended late October to mid-November 2014; initial draft of a new constitution to usher in the new republic was completed in January 2017 and a final draft was submitted to the government in December 2017; a constitutional referendum originally scheduled for adoption in March 2019 was postponed; on 1 March 2022 a transition charter was adopted, allowing military authorities to rule for three years and barring the transitional president from being an electoral candidate after the transitionamendment process: proposed by the president, by a majority of National Assembly membership, or by petition of at least 30,000 eligible voters submitted to the Assembly; passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote in the Assembly; failure to meet that threshold requires majority voter approval in a referendum; constitutional provisions on the form of government, the multiparty system, and national sovereignty cannot be amended
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law based on the French model and customary law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: Transitional President Capt. Ibrahim TRAORE (since 30 September 2022)head of government: Prime Minister Joachim KYLEM DE TAMBELA (since 21 October 2022)cabinet: prior to the 2022 coups and ad hoc suspension of laws and constitutional provisions, Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime ministerelection/appointment process: prior to the 2022 coups and ad hoc suspension of laws and constitutional provisions, president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president with consent of the National Assemblymost recent election date: 22 November 2020election results: 2020: Roch Marc Christian KABORE reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Roch Marc Christian KABORE (MPP) 57.9%, Eddie KOMBOIGO (CDP) 15.5%, Zephirin DIABRE (UPC) 12.5%, other 14.1%2015: Roch Marc Christian KABORE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Roch Marc Christian KABORE (MPP) 53.5%, Zephirin DIABRE (UPC) 29.6%, Tahirou BARRY (PAREN) 3.1%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA (UNIR-MS) 2.8%, other 10.9%expected date of next election: were to be held by July 2024, but were delayednote: on 30 September 2022, a military junta led by TRAORE took power and ousted Transition President Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo DAMIBA
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (consists of NA judges); Council of State (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of the council president and 9 members)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judge appointments mostly controlled by the president of Burkina Faso; judges have no term limits; Council of State judge appointment and tenure NA; Constitutional Council judges appointed by the president of Burkina Faso after a proposal from the minister of justice and the president of the National Assembly; judges appointed for 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 yearssubordinate courts: Appeals Court; High Court; first instance tribunals; district courts; specialized courts relating to issues of labor, children, and juveniles; village (customary) courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliament (Parlement)legislative structure: unicameralchamber name: Transitional Legislative Assembly (Assemblée législative de la transition)number of seats: 71electoral system: proportional representationmost recent election date: 11/11/2022percentage of women in chamber: 18.3%expected date of next election: June 2029note: a series of coups in 2022 led to the ad hoc suspension of laws and constitutional provisions, including the unicameral National Assembly; a military junta in 2022 appointed the 71-member Transnational Legislative Assembly (ALT); a Transitional Charter, adopted in October 2022, provided for a transitional period that was extended in May 2024 until July 2029

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• highly agrarian, low-income economy; limited natural resources; widespread poverty; terrorism disrupting potential economic activity; improving trade balance via increases in gold exports; economy inflating after prior deflation; growing public debt but still manageable
• Budget: revenues: $5.174 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $6.308 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: gold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt
• Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
• Agricultural Products: maize, sorghum, fruits, vegetables, millet, cowpeas, cotton, groundnuts, sugarcane, rice (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 53.2% (2022 est.)arable land: 28.9% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 2.4% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 21.9% (2022 est.)forest: 22.4% (2022 est.)other: 24.4% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, plastic products, cement, electricity, packaged medicine (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: Cote d'Ivoire 14%, China 13%, Ghana 9%, Russia 9%, France 7% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: gold, cotton, oil seeds, coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews, cement (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: Switzerland 72%, UAE 10%, India 3%, Mali 3%, Cote d'Ivoire 2% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports