Country Profile: Burkino Faso

Geography

This is a landlocked country, slightly larger than Colorado, in tropical western Africa, just north of Ghana and west of Nigeria.

Government

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.

Economy

Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.

Estimated per capita GDP
2007 $1,200

GDP annual growth rate estimated for 2007: 4.2 percent. (Ranks 137th)

Fragile soil, cotton the main crop, 90 percent of work force in agriculture, most of it subsistence.

Estimated Deaths and Births per 1,000 persons

For 2008: deaths: 13.59, down from 18.86 in 2005; births: 44.68, up from 44.17 in 2005

Population

For 2008: 15.265 million, up from 13.9 million in 2005. Growth rate estimated for 2008: 3.109 percent per year. Density estimated for 2005: 50 persons per square kilometer.

Health

Infant mortality for 2008: 86.02, down from 89.79 in 2007, up from 81.74 in 2005 (deaths before the age of one year, per 1,000 live births)

Average life expectancy estimated for 2008: 52.55, up from 43.9 in 2005.

Living with HIV/AIDS, ages 15 to 49: 4.2 percent (2003 estimate).

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/