Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960.

Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s.

Current President Blaise Compaore came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then.

Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.

Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 14,326,203 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 46.7% (male 3,356,737/female 3,327,058) 15-64 years: 50.9% (male 3,635,152/female 3,650,303) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 141,554/female 215,399) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 16.5 years male: 16.3 years female: 16.7 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 2.997% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 45.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 15.31 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.009 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.996 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.657 male(s)/female total population: 0.992 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 89.79 deaths/1,000 live births male: 97.55 deaths/1,000 live births female: 81.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 49.21 years male: 47.68 years female: 50.8 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 6.41 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 4.2% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 300,000 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 29,000 (2003 est.)

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Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

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Nationality: noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural) adjective: Burkinabe

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Ethnic groups: Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani)

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Religions: Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%

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Languages: French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 21.8% male: 29.4% female: 15.2% (2003 est.)

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 for improved access to Western markets. GDP growth has largely been driven by increases in world cotton prices. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations. Following the CFA franc currency devaluation in January 1994, the government updated its development program in conjunction with international agencies; exports and economic growth have increased. The government devolved macroeconomic policy and inflation targeting to the West African regional central bank (BCEAO), but maintains control over fiscal and microeconomic policies, including implementing reforms to encourage private investment. The bitter internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire continues to hurt trade and industrial prospects and deepens the need for international assistance. Burkina Faso is eligible for a Millennium Challenge Account grant, which would increase investment in the country's human capital.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $18.94 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $5.886 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 6.4% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,400 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 32.6% industry: 19.7% services: 47.7% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 5 million note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)

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Unemployment rate: NA%

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Population below poverty line: 45% (2003 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 46.8% (1994)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 48.2 (1998)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 20.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $1.158 billion expenditures: $1.714 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock

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Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold

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Industrial production growth rate: 14% (2001 est.)

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Electricity - production: 400 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 372 million kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2004)

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Oil - consumption: 8,200 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Current account balance: -$604.6 million (2006 est.)

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Exports: $543.5 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: cotton, livestock, gold

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Exports - partners: China 41.7%, Singapore 14.3%, Ghana 5.9%, Thailand 4.8%, Niger 4.4% (2006)

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Imports: $1.016 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum

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Imports - partners: Cote d'Ivoire 25.4%, France 22.3%, Togo 7% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.328 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $1.85 billion (2003)

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Economic aid - recipient: $468.4 million (2003)

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Currency (code): Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

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Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year