Introduction
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. 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.
Location
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Geographic coordinates
13 00 N, 2 00 W
Area
total: 274,200 sq km
water: 400 sq km
land: 273,800 sq km
Land boundaries
total: 3,193 km
border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Terrain
mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast
Natural resources
manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver
Irrigated land
250 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards
recurring droughts
Environment - current issues
recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note
landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas