The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
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, UN Security Council
(temporary), 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 Jeanine E. JACKSON 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. In 2007 higher costs for energy and imported foodstuffs, as well as low cotton prices, dampened a GDP growth rate that had averaged 6% in the last 10 years. Burkina Faso received a Millennium Challenge Account threshold grant to improve girls' education at the primary school level, and appears likely to receive a grant in the areas of infrastructure, agriculture, and land reform.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$17.41 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.977 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.2% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,200 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29.7% industry: 19.4% services: 50.9% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
5 million note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 90% industry and services: 10% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
77% (2004)
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)
Investment (gross fixed):
21.1% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.415 billion expenditures: $1.847 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
−0.2% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
NA
Stock of money:
$1.051 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$663 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$905.1 million (31 December 2007)
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:
5.2% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
611.6 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
509.3 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 69.9% hydro: 30.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
8,470 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
8,446 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)