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Burkina Faso: Countries
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Burkina Faso is a landlocked Sahel country that shares borders with six nations. It lies between the Sahara desert and the Gulf of Guinea, south of the loop of the Niger River. The land is green in the south, with forests and fruit trees, and semi-arid in the north. Most of central Burkina Faso lies on a savanna plateau, 198-305 meters (650-1,000 ft) above sea level, with fields, brush, and scattered trees. Burkina Faso’s game preserves - the most important of which are Arly, Nazinga, and Park W - contain lions, elephants, hippopotamus, monkeys, warthog, and antelopes.
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Most people in Burkina Faso are farmers who grow cash crops (peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton), and food crops (sorghum, millet, maize, rice and vegetables). Industries include cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, and gold mining. The countries natural resources include manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, and silver.
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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.
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The rainy season in Burkina Faso usually begins in June and ends by October. The country is located between 9º and 15º north of the equator, and is warm throughout the year. In the hottest months, from March to May, temperatures rise to over 40º C. People say that in the North, around Gorom Gorom, the sun is hot enough to cook an egg.
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Burkina Faso, once known as Upper Volta, and as the longtime kingdom of the Mossi people, was colonized by France in the late 1800s. Its name was changed to Burkina Faso when it gained independence from France in 1960, and subsequently after that dependence, suffered from numerousmilitary coups which ended with country wide elections in 1992. The results of those elections helped form a stable coalition government. With a high population density and very limited natural resources, most of the region remains economically suppressed. Local health conditions are improving, but still generallypoor in the rural areas. The country is reported to have the second-highest illiteracy rate on the planet.
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Burkina Faso's population is estimated at 13.2 million. The country has taken a strong stand in addressing the needs of youth, adolescents and women, while improving the quality of and access to health care. As one of the least developed countries in the world, the government is alarmed by continued high maternal, infant and childhood mortality. The maternal mortality ratio is around 1000 deaths per 100,000 live births. Low contraceptive use contributes to high fertility rates. Life expectancy is low for both men and women (averaging 48 years) and school enrolment figures are very low -- more so for girls than boys.
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