Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo,
Kenedougou, Komondjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koulpelogo, Kouritenga,
Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala,
Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga,
Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro,
Zondoma, Zoundweogo
Independence:
5 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 11 December (1958)
Constitution:
approved by referendum 2 June 1991; formally adopted 11 June 1991;
last amended January 2002
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Tertius ZONGO (since 4 June 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 13 November 2005
(next to be held in 2010); in April 2000, the constitution was
amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years,
enforceable as of 2005; prime minister appointed by the president
with the consent of the legislature
election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of
popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.3%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA
4.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly election last held 6 May 2007 (next to
be held in May 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
CDP 73, ADF-RDA 14, UPR 5, UNIR-MS 4, CFD-B 3, UPS 2, PDP-PS 2, RDB
2, PDS 2, PAREN 1, PAI 1, RPC 1, UDPS 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders:
African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or
ADF-RDA [Gilbert OUEDRAOGO]; Citizen's Popular Rally or RPC [Antoine
QUARE]; Coalition of Democratic Forces of Burkina or CFD-B [Amadou
Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch
Marc-Christian KABORE]; Democratic and Popular Rally or RDP [Nana
THIBAUT]; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou
Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Soumane
TOURE]; Party for Democracy and Progress-Socialist Party or PDP-PS
[Ali LANKOANDE]; Party for Democracy and Socialism or PDS [Felix
SOUBEIGA]; Party for National Rebirth or PAREN [Jeanne TRAORE];
Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB [Antoine KARGOUGOU];
Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Ram OUEDRAGO];
Republican Party for Integration and Solidarity or PARIS; Union for
Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Fidele HIEN]; Union for
Rebirth - Sankarist Movement or UNIR-MS [Benewende STANISLAS]; Union
for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY]; Union of
Sankarist Parties or UPS [Ernest Nongma OUEDRAOGO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB [Tole SAGNON];
Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP [Chrysigone ZOUGMORE];
Group of 14 February [Benewende STANISLAS]; National Confederation
of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB [Laurent OUEDRAOGO]; National
Organization of Free Unions or ONSL [Paul KABORE]
other: watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in
both organizations and communities
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,
MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNITAR, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Paramanga Ernest YONLI
chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577
FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Samuel C.
LAEUCHLI
embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4
mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US
Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC
20521-2440
telephone: [226] 50-30-67-23
FAX: [226] 50-30-38-90
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow
five-pointed star in the center
note: uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy ::Burkina Faso
Economy - overview:
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. Since 1998, Burkina Faso has embarked upon a gradual but
successful privatization of state-owned enterprises. Having revised
its investment code in 2004, Burkina Faso hopes to attract foreign
investors. Thanks to this new code and other legislation favoring
the mining sector, the country has seen an upswing in gold
exploration and production. While the bitter internal crisis in
neighboring Cote d'Ivoire is beginning to be resolved, it is still
having a negative effect on Burkina Faso's trade and employment.
Burkina Faso received a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)
threshold grant to improve girls' education at the primary school
level, and signed an MCC compact that focuses on the areas of
infrastructure, agriculture, and land reform in July 2008.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$17.96 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
$17.11 billion (2007 est.)
$16.5 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$8.116 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
3.7% (2007 est.)
5.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,200 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 207
$1,200 (2007 est.)
$1,200 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29.1%
industry: 19.9%
services: 51% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
6.668 million
country comparison to the world: 64
note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to
neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2007)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90%
industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
77% (2004)
country comparison to the world: 197
Population below poverty line:
46.4% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 32.2% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
39.5 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 64
48.2 (1994)
Investment (gross fixed):
19.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115
Budget:
revenues: $1.409 billion
expenditures: $1.786 billion (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.7% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
-0.2% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.75% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 117
4.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$1.051 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$663 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$905.1 million (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice;
livestock
Industries:
cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes,
textiles, gold
Industrial production growth rate:
4.5% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
Electricity - production:
611.6 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
Electricity - consumption:
568.8 million kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Oil - consumption:
9,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
Oil - imports:
8,283 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 96
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Current account balance:
-$931 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
-$564 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$544 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
$618 million (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
cotton, livestock, gold
Exports - partners:
Singapore 17%, Belgium 12.9%, China 11.3%, Thailand 9.1%, Ghana 7%,
Niger 5.2%, Denmark 4.9% (2008)
Imports:
$1.343 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
$1.221 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum
Imports - partners:
Cote d'Ivoire 26.7%, France 18.4%, Togo 7.4%, Libya 4.2% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$926.3 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
$1.029 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.665 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
$1.33 billion (2007)
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 447.81
(2008 est.), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29
(2004)
note: since 1 January 1999, the West African CFA franc (XOF) has
been pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro;
West African CFA franc (XOF) coins and banknotes are not accepted in
countries using Central African CFA francs (XAF), and vice versa,
even though the two currencies trade at par
Communications ::Burkina Faso
Telephones - main lines in use:
144,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 133
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.553 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 114
Telephone system:
general assessment: services only fair; in 2006 the government sold
a 51 percent stake in the national telephone company and ultimately
plans to retain only a 23 percent stake in the company; fixed-line
connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular
usage, fostered by multiple providers, is increasing rapidly from a
low base
domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone
communication stations
international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 26, shortwave 3 (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (1 national, 2 private)
Internet country code:
.bf
Internet hosts:
1,951 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 150
Internet users:
140,000 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 143
Transportation ::Burkina Faso
Airports:
26 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 127
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 24
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 7 (2009)
Railways:
total: 622 km
country comparison to the world: 109
narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge
note: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote d'Ivoire
(2008)
Roadways:
total: 92,495 km
country comparison to the world: 51
paved: 3,857 km
unpaved: 88,638 km (2004)
Military ::Burkina Faso
Military branches:
Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso,
FABF), National Gendarmerie (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; women may serve in
supporting roles (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 3,364,288 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,197,557
females age 16-49: 2,191,978 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 182,540
female: 180,051 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 129
Transnational Issues ::Burkina Faso
Disputes - international:
in September 2007, Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) intervened to attempt to resolve the dispute over two
villages along the Benin-Burkina Faso border that remain from a 2005
ICJ decision; in recent years citizens and rogue security forces rob
and harass local populations on both sides of the poorly defined
Burkina Faso-Niger border; despite the presence of more than 9,000
UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict
continues to spread into neighboring states who can no longer send
their migrant workers to work in Ivorian cocoa plantations
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Burma (East & Southeast Asia)
Introduction ::Burma
Background:
Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-1886) and
incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a
province of India until 1937 when it became a separate,
self-governing colony; independence from the Commonwealth was
attained in 1948. Gen. NE WIN dominated the government from 1962 to
1988, first as military ruler, then as self-appointed president, and
later as political kingpin. In September 1988, the military deposed
NE WIN and established a new ruling junta. Despite multiparty
legislative elections in 1990 that resulted in the main opposition
party - the National League for Democracy (NLD) - winning a
landslide victory, the junta refused to hand over power. NLD leader
and Nobel Peace Prize recipient AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who was under
house arrest from 1989 to 1995 and 2000 to 2002, was imprisoned in
May 2003 and subsequently transferred to house arrest. After the
ruling junta in August 2007 unexpectedly increased fuel prices, tens
of thousands of Burmese marched in protest, led by prodemocracy
activists and Buddhist monks. In late September 2007, the government
brutally suppressed the protests, killing at least 13 people and
arresting thousands for participating in the demonstrations. Since
then, the regime has continued to raid homes and monasteries and
arrest persons suspected of participating in the pro-democracy
protests. The junta appointed Labor Minister AUNG KYI in October
2007 as liaison to AUNG SAN SUU KYI, who remains under house arrest
and virtually incommunicado with her party and supporters. Burma in
early May 2008 was struck by Cyclone Nargis which official estimates
claimed left over 80,000 dead and 50,000 injured. Despite this
tragedy, the junta proceeded with its May constitutional referendum,
the first vote in Burma since 1990, setting the stage for the 2010
parliamentary elections.
Geography ::Burma
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal,
between Bangladesh and Thailand
Geographic coordinates:
22 00 N, 98 00 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 676,578 sq km
country comparison to the world: 40
land: 653,508 sq km
water: 23,070 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,876 km
border countries: Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km,
Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
Coastline:
1,930 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest
monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild
temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon,
December to April)
Terrain:
central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Andaman Sea 0 m
highest point: Hkakabo Razi 5,881 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead,
coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 14.92%
permanent crops: 1.31%
other: 83.77% (2005)
Irrigated land:
18,700 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
1,045.6 cu km (1999)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 33.23 cu km/yr (1%/1%/98%)
per capita: 658 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common
during rainy season (June to September); periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; industrial pollution of air, soil, and water;
inadequate sanitation and water treatment contribute to disease
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes
People ::Burma
Population:
48,137,741
country comparison to the world: 26
note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of
excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life
expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.3% (male 6,193,263/female 5,990,658)
15-64 years: 69.3% (male 16,510,648/female 16,828,462)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 1,121,412/female 1,493,298) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.2 years
male: 27.7 years
female: 28.8 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.783% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
Birth rate:
16.97 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
Death rate:
9.14 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
Net migration rate:
NA
Urbanization:
urban population: 33% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 47.61 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 53
male: 53.78 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 41.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.39 years
country comparison to the world: 172
male: 61.17 years
female: 65.74 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.89 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
240,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
25,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in
this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases
possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Burmese (singular and plural)
adjective: Burmese
Ethnic groups:
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Indian 2%,
Mon 2%, other 5%
Religions:
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim
4%, animist 1%, other 2%
Languages:
Burmese, minority ethnic groups have their own languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89.9%
male: 93.9%
female: 86.4% (2006 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 8 years
female: 8 years (2001)
Education expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2001)
country comparison to the world: 178
Government ::Burma
Country name:
conventional long form: Union of Burma
conventional short form: Burma
local long form: Pyidaungzu Myanma Naingngandaw (translated by the
US Government as Union of Myanma and by the Burmese as Union of
Myanmar)
local short form: Myanma Naingngandaw
former: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma
note: since 1989 the military authorities in Burma have promoted the
name Myanmar as a conventional name for their state; this decision
was not approved by any sitting legislature in Burma, and the US
Government did not adopt the name, which is a derivative of the
Burmese short-form name Myanma Naingngandaw
Government type:
military junta
Capital:
name: Rangoon (Yangon)
geographic coordinates: 16 48 N, 96 09 E
time difference: UTC+6.5 (11.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Nay Pyi Taw is administrative capital
Administrative divisions:
7 divisions (taing-myar, singular - taing) and 7 states* (pyi
ne-myar, singular - pyi ne)
divisions: Ayeyarwady, Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi,
Yangon
states: Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, Rakhine, Shan
Independence:
4 January 1948 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 January (1948); Union Day, 12 February (1947)
Constitution:
3 January 1974; suspended since 18 September 1988; a new
constitution was approved on 10 May 2008; note - new constitution
will take effect when a new parliament is convened following
elections scheduled for 2010
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC) Sr. Gen. THAN SHWE (since 23 April 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister, Lt. Gen THEIN SEIN (since 24
October 2007)
cabinet: Cabinet is overseen by SPDC; military junta assumed power
18 September 1988 under name State Law and Order Restoration Council
(SLORC)
elections: none
Legislative branch:
a unicameral People's Assembly or Pyithu Hluttaw consisting of 485
seats with members elected by popular vote was elected in 1990 but
was never seated; according to the terms of the constitution
approved on 10 May 2008, a bicameral Pyidaungsu Hluttaw consisting
of an upper house with a maximum of 224 seats and a lower house with
a maximum of 440 seats will be selected in elections in 2010
elections: last held 27 May 1990, but Assembly never allowed by
junta to convene (junta has announced plans to hold elections in
2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
NLD 392 (opposition), SNLD 23 (opposition), NUP 10 (pro-government),
other 60
Judicial branch:
remnants of the British-era legal system are in place, but there is
no guarantee of a fair public trial; the judiciary is not
independent of the executive
Political parties and leaders:
National League for Democracy or NLD [AUNG SHWE, AUNG SAN SUU KYI];
National Unity Party or NUP (pro-regime) [TUN YE]; Shan
Nationalities League for Democracy or SNLD [HKUN HTUN OO]; and
numerous other smaller parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: