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Burkina Faso |
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Country information
Burkina Faso is a former French colony and strives mostly on its natural resources, and agriculture.
History
Burkina Faso was early on populated by hunter-gatherers, and was later also populated by the Dogon tribe. During the 15th and 16th centuries, Burkina Faso was an important economic region of the Songhai Empire.
After a decade of intense rivalry and competition between the British and the French, waged through treaty making expeditions under military or civilian explorers, in 1896, the Mossi kingdom of Ouagadougou was defeated by French colonial forces and became a French protectorate. The western region, where a standoff against the forces of the powerful ruler Samori Ture complicated the situation, and the eastern region came under French occupation in 1897 following different campaigns. By 1898, the majority of the territory corresponding to Burkina Faso today was nominally conquered, although control of many parts remained precarious.
The French and British convention of June 14, 1898 ended the scramble between the two colonial powers and basically traced the borders between them. On the French side a war of conquest against local communities and political powers continued for about five years. In the 1904 large-scale reorganization of the French West African colonial empire, the now largely pacified territories of the Volta basin were integrated into the Upper Senegal and Niger colony of French West Africa.
Once the First World War was over, fear of recurrence of armed uprising and economic considerations led the colonial government to separate the present territory of Burkina Faso from Haut Sénégal et Niger so as to intensify its administration. The new colony was named Upper Volta and François Charles Alexis Édouard Hesling became its first governor. Hesling initiated an ambitious road making program and promoted cotton growing for export. The cotton policy, based on coercion, failed and revenue stagnated. The colony was dismantled on September 5, 1932, and its territory divided between Côte d’Ivoire, French Sudan and Niger, the largest share with most of the population and the cities of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso passing to Côte d'Ivoire.
The decision was reversed during the intense anti-colonial agitation that followed the end of the Second World War and on September 4, 1947 Upper Volta was recreated in its 1932 boundaries under the French Union. On December 11, 1958, it achieved self-government, and became the Republic of Upper Volta and member of the Franco-African Community. Full independence was attained in 1960. The country's first military coup occurred in 1966; which returned civilian rule in 1978. There was another coup, led by Saye Zerbo in 1980, which in turn was overthrown in 1982. A counter-coup was launched in 1983, which brought the charismatic Captain Thomas Sankara to leadership. In 1984 the revolutionary government changed the name of the country to Burkina Faso, its flag, and its national anthem. The current president is Blaise Compaoré, who came to power in 1987 after a coup d'état that killed Thomas Sankara.
Politics
The constitution of June 2, 1991 established a semi-presidential government with a parliament (Assemblée) which can be dissolved by the President of the Republic, who is elected for a term of seven years. In 2000, however, there was a constitutional amendment reducing the presidential term from seven to five years, which was enforced during the 2005 elections. Another change according to the amendment would have prevented sitting President, Blaise Compaoré from being re-elected. However, notwithstanding a challenge by other presidential candidates, in October 2005 the constitutional council ruled that because Compaoré was already a sitting president in 2000, the amendment would not apply to him until the end of his second term in office. This cleared the way for his candidacy in the 2005 election. On November 13, Compaoré was reelected in a landslide due to a divided political opposition.
The parliament consists of two chambers: the lower house and the upper house. There is also a constitutional chamber, composed of ten members, and an economic and social council whose roles are purely consultative.
Geography
Burkina Faso is made up of two major types of countryside:
The country owed its former name of Upper Volta to three rivers which cross it: the Mouhoun (formerly called the Black Volta), the Nakambé (the White Volta) and the Nazinon (the Red Volta). The Mouhoun, along with the Comoé which flows to the south west, is the country's only river which flows year-round. The basin of the Niger River also drains 27% of the country's surface. The country also contains numerous lakes. Water shortages are often a problem, especially in the north of the country.
Burkina Faso has a primarily tropical climate with two very distinct seasons: the rainy season with between 24-35 inches (600 and 900 mm) of rainfall, and the dry season during which the harmattan, a hot dry wind from the Sahara, blows. The rainy season lasts approximately 4 months, May/June to September, and is shorter in the north of the country.
Economy
Burkina Faso has one of the lowest GDP per capita incomes in the world: $1,200. This ranks it as the 127th poorest nation. Agriculture represents 32% of its gross domestic product and occupies 80% of the working population. It consists mostly of livestock but also, especially in the south and southwest, of growing sorghum, pearl millet, maize (corn), peanuts, rice and cotton.
Unemployment causes a high rate of emigration: for example, three million citizens of Burkina Faso live in Côte d'Ivoire. According to the Central Bank of Western African States, these migrants send tens of billions of Euros back to Burkina Faso each year. Since the 1967 expulsions from Ghana, this situation has provoked tensions in the recipient countries. The most recent crisis occurred owing to the events of 2003 in Côte d'Ivoire, which led to the return of 300,000 migrants.
There is mineral exploitation of copper, iron, manganese and, above all, gold.
Culture
Two key elements of the culture of Burkina Faso are masks and dancing. The masks used in this region are made for rites of sacrifice to gods and animal spirits in the villages, to demonstrate the villagers' desire for blessing by the spirits.
The Popular Theatre in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, is a center of social and cultural events for the country. Ouagadougou, is a major hub of activity for those involved in African cinema, and hosts a Pan-African film festival every year called FESPACO, the Pan-African film and television Festival of Ouagadougou, which is a world-renowned affair. Culture and art are further displayed at Laongo, an area of exposed granites where artists from the entire world are invited to sculpt on the rock. Idrissa Ouedraogo, probably the most commercially successful African director, is from Burkina Faso.
Facts and figures
| Capital city: | Ouagadougou | |
| Official language: | French | |
| Government: | Semi-presidential republic | |
| Population: | 13,228,000 (2005) | |
| Human Development Index: | 0.370 (low) (2007) | |
| Currency: | West African CFA franc |