"text":"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. Former President Blaise COMPAORE (1987-2014) resigned in late October 2014 following popular protests against his efforts to amend the Constitution's two-term presidential limit. By mid-November, a framework for an interim government was adopted under the terms of the National Transition Charter. An interim administration, led by President Michel KAFANDO and Prime Minister Yacouba Isaac ZIDA, began organizing presidential and legislative elections planned for October 2015, but these were postponed during a weeklong failed coup in September. The rescheduled elections were held on 29 November, and Roch Marc Christian KABORE was elected president in the first round. Burkina Faso's high population growth and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens."
"text":"recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation"
},
"Environment - international agreements":{
"party to":{
"text":"Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands"
},
"signed, but not ratified":{
"text":"none of the selected agreements"
}
},
"Geography - note":{
"text":"landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas"
"text":"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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2016 est.)"
"text":"Burkina Faso has a young age structure – the result of declining mortality combined with steady high fertility – and continues to experience rapid population growth, which is putting increasing pressure on the country’s limited arable land. More than 65% of the population is under the age of 25, and the population is growing at 3% annually. Mortality rates, especially those of infants and children, have decreased because of improved health care, hygiene, and sanitation, but women continue to have an average of almost 6 children. Even if fertility were substantially reduced, today’s large cohort entering their reproductive years would sustain high population growth for the foreseeable future. Only about a third of the population is literate and unemployment is widespread, dampening the economic prospects of Burkina Faso’s large working-age population. Migration has traditionally been a way of life for Burkinabe, with seasonal migration being replaced by stints of up to two years abroad. Cote d’Ivoire remains the top destination, although it has experienced periods of internal conflict. Under French colonization, Burkina Faso became a main labor source for agricultural and factory work in Cote d’Ivoire. Burkinabe also migrated to Ghana, Mali, and Senegal for work between the world wars. Burkina Faso attracts migrants from Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Mali, who often share common ethnic backgrounds with the Burkinabe. Despite its food shortages and high poverty rate, Burkina Faso has become a destination for refugees in recent years and currently hosts about 50,000 Malians."
"text":"several previous; latest approved by referendum 2 June 1991, adopted 11 June 1991; amended several times, last in 2015 for setting a two-term limit for presidents; note - constitution temporarily suspended between late October and mid-November 2014 (2016)"
"text":"president elected by absolute majority popular vote in two rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second); election last held on 29 November 2015 (next scheduled for November 2020); prime minister appointed by the president with consent of the National Assembly"
"text":"Roch Marc Christian KABORE elected president in one round; percent of vote - Roch Marc Christian KABORE 53.5%, Zephirin DIABRE 29.6%, Tahirou BARRY 3.1%. Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 2.8%, other 10.9%"
"text":"unicameral National Assembly (127 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)"
"text":"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)"
"text":"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 upon the proposal of 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 years"
"text":"Appeals Court; High Court; first instance tribunals; district courts; specialized courts relating to issues of labor, children, and juveniles; village (customary) courts"
"text":"African Democratic Rally/Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF/RDA [Gilbert Noel OUEDRAOGO] ++ African People’s Movement or MAP [Victorien TOUGOUMA] ++ Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Achille TAPSOBA] ++ Le Faso Autrement [Ablasse OUEDRAOGO] ++ New Alliance of the Faso or NAFA [Rasmane OUEDRAOGO] ++ New Time for Democracy or NTD [Vincent DABILGOU] ++ Organization for Democracy and Work or ODT [Mahamoudou SAWADOGO] ++ Party for Development and Change or PDC [Saran SEREME] ++ Party for Democracy and Progress-Socialist Party or PDP-PS [Francois O. KABORE] ++ Party for Democracy and Socialism/Metba or PDS/Metba [Philippe OUEDRAOGO] ++ Party for National Renaissance or PAREN [Tahirou BARRY] ++ People's Movement for Progress or MPP [Roch March Christian KABORE] ++ Rally for Democracy and Socialism or RDS [Francois OUEDRAOGO] ++ Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB [Celestin Saidou COMPAORE] ++ Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Adama SERE] ++ Union for a New Burkina or UBN [Yacouba OUEDRAOGO] ++ Union for Progress and Change or UPC [Zephirin DIABRE] ++ Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Movement or UNIR-MS [Benewende Stanislas SANKARA] ++ Union for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY] ++ Youth Alliance for the Republic and Independence or AJIR [Adama KANAZOE]"
"text":"Balai Citoyen [Herve KAM] ++ Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB [Bassolma BAZIE] ++ Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP [Chrysigone ZOUGMORE] ++ Burkinabe Society for Constitutional Law or SBDC [Abdoulaye SOMA] ++ Center for Democratic Governance or CGD [Thomas OUEDRAOGO] ++ Coalition for African Renaissance or CAR [Herve OUATTARA] ++ National Independent Union of Burkinabe Magistrates or SAMAB ++ National Union for Health Workers or SYNTSHA ++ National Union for Primary Education Teachers or SYNATEB",
"text":"01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[226] 25-49-53-00"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[226] 25-49-56-28"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; red recalls the country's struggle for independence, green is for hope and abundance, and yellow represents the country's mineral wealth",
"note":{
"text":"uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia"
}
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"white stallion; national colors: red, yellow, green"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"Le Ditanye\" (Anthem of Victory)"
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Thomas SANKARA"
},
"note":{
"text":"adopted 1974; also known as \"Une Seule Nuit\" (One Single Night); written by the country's president, an avid guitar player"
"text":"Burkina Faso is a poor, landlocked country that depends on adequate rainfall. About 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence farming and cotton is the main cash crop. The country has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. ++ ++ Cotton and gold are Burkina Faso’s key exports - gold has accounted for about three-quarters of the country’s total export revenues. Burkina Faso’s economic growth and revenue depends on global prices for the two commodities. The Burkinabe economy experienced high levels of growth over the last few years, and the country has seen an upswing in gold exploration, production, and exports. ++ ++ Burkina Faso experienced a number of public protests over the high cost of living, corruption, and other socioeconomic issues in 2013, while the fall of the COMPAORE government in 2014 and failed coup in September 2015 disrupted economic activity and strained government finances. A new three-year IMF program was approved in 2013 to focus on improving the quality of public investment and ensuring inclusive growth. Political insecurity in neighboring Mali, unreliable energy supplies, and poor transportation links pose long-term challenges."
"text":"fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage, fostered by multiple providers, is increasing steadily from a low base"
"text":"2 TV stations - 1 state-owned and 1 privately owned; state-owned radio runs a national and regional network; substantial number of privately owned radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters available in Ouagadougou (2007)"
"text":"Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso, FABF), National Gendarmerie (2011)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; women may serve in supporting roles (2013)"
},
"Military expenditures":{
"text":"1.39% of GDP (2012) ++ 1.34% of GDP (2011) ++ 1.39% of GDP (2010)"
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"adding to illicit cross-border activities, Burkina Faso has issues concerning unresolved boundary alignments with its neighbors; demarcation is currently underway with Mali; the dispute with Niger was referred to the ICJ in 2010, and a dispute over several villages with Benin persists; Benin retains a border dispute with Burkina Faso around the town of Koualou"
"text":"Burkina Faso is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Burkinabe children are forced to work as farm hands, gold panners and washers, street vendors, domestic servants, and beggars or in the commercial sex trade, with some transported to nearby countries; to a lesser extent, Burkinabe women are recruited for legitimate jobs in the Middle East or Europe and subsequently forced into prostitution; women from other West African countries are also lured to Burkina Faso for work and subjected to forced prostitution, forced labor in restaurants, or domestic servitude"
},
"tier rating":{
"text":"Tier 2 Watch List – Burkina Faso does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; law enforcement efforts decreased in 2014, with a significant decline in trafficking prosecutions (none for forced begging involving Koranic school teachers – a prevalent form of trafficking) and no convictions, a 2014 law criminalizing the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography is undermined by a provision allowing offenders to pay a fine in lieu of serving prison time proportionate to the crime; the government sustained efforts to identify and protect a large number of child victims, relying on support from NGOs and international organizations; nationwide awareness-raising activities were sustained, but little was done to stop forced begging (2015)"
