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This is a landlocked country, slightly larger than Colorado, in tropical western Africa, just north of Ghana and west of Nigeria.
In 1960, Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) acquired complete independence from France. During the 1970s and 80's were military coups. In the early 90's multiparty electionsw were held.
Burkino Faso is a parliamentary democracy.
Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.
Factbook: "One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. About 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, which is vulnerable to periodic drought. Cotton is the main cash crop and the government has joined with three other cotton producing countries in the region - Mali, Niger, and Chad - to lobby in the World Trade Organization for fewer subsidies to producers in other competing countries."
2009: $1,200
2008: $1,200
2007: $1,200
Fragile soil, cotton the main crop, 90 percent of work force in agriculture, most of it subsistence.
Living in an urban area: 20% (2008)
July 2010: 16.241 million. Growth rate: 3.095% (rates 11th)
July 2008: 15.265 million
July 2005: 13.9 million
Density estimated for 2005: 50 persons per square kilometer.
2010: 82.98
2008: 86.02
2007: 89.79
2005: 81.74
2010: 53.32 years
2008: 52.55
2005: 43.9
Living with HIV/AIDS, ages 15 to 49: 4.2 percent (2003 estimate).
SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
Copyright © 2010 by Frank E. Smitha. All rights reserved.