Burkina Faso

Geography

Economics

Demographics

Military

Politics

Burkina Faso is located in the Western parts of Africa and is characterized by a desert to the north which turns into a rain forest going further down south. It is a landlocked state and borders six other states. To the north it borders Mali and Niger, to the south east it borders Benin, and to the south it borders Togo Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Burkina Faso is slightly larger than New Zealand and slightly smaller than Ecuador with a total surface area of 275,600 square kilometers or 106,000 square miles. This ranks Burkina Faso as the 74th largest state in the world.

Surface

Surface (in square kilometers)

Surface (in square miles)

Its total water surface area is 622 square kilometers or 241 square miles. This ranks Burkina Faso as the 114th state with the largest amount of surface water.

Surface (water)

Water Surface (in square kilometers)

Water Surface (in square miles)

Share of water (%)

Around 0.2 percent of its total landmass exists of permanent bodies of water which ranks Burkina Faso as the 133rd state with the largest share of water. The largest sources of water within Burkina Faso are Rainwater, groundwater and water that is provided by rivers. Rainwater mainly comes down in the southern part of Burkina Faso. However, especially in the north, water is not abundant and during the dry season the limited water resources can lead to an existential threat.

The climates of Burkina Faso is characterized by a tropical climate with long and dry periods which last from November until March. Due to its tropical climate, the average temperature of Burkina Faso is 28.3 degrees Celsius or 82.8 degrees Fahrenheit which makes it the second warmest state in the world.

Temperature

The summer period has an average temperature of 33.5 degrees Celsius or 92.3 degrees Fahrenheit.

Average temperature (in Celcius)

Average temperature (in Farenheit)

Average high temperature (in Celcius)

Average high temperature (in Farenheit)

During winter, the average temperature drops down to 22 degrees Celsius or 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Average low temperature (in Celcius)

Average low temperature (in Farenheit)

Rainfall

Rainfall mainly occurs during the rainy season from June to November. However, rainfall is unevenly spread out throughout Burkina Faso with the northern part receiving six times less of its southern part. In total, Burkina Faso receives an average of 79 centimeters or 31 inches of rainfall annually. This ranks Burkina Faso as the 122nd state with the highest rainfall.

Average rainfall (mm)

Average rainfall (inch)

Distance to other capitals (kilometers)

Distance to other capitals (miles)

Proximity

The capital of Burkina Faso is Ouagadougou which has a population of around 1 million people. The capital that is closest located to Ouagadougou is Bouake, of Côte d’Ivoire with a distance of 412 kilometers or 256 miles. The capital that is furthest removed is Funafuti, the capital of Tuvalu with a distance of 19,585 kilometers or 12,170 miles

Since its independence, the economy of Burkina Faso is characterized by being an underdeveloped economy. Up until the 20th century, its economy mainly existed out of sustenance farming and the production of unprocessed agricultural products. After the turn of the 20th century, the government of Burkina Faso gave way to private enterprise which has started to invest in the mining industry. As a result, the extraction of gold has been the largest source of income overtaking raw cotton. This development has slowly started lifting the Burkinabé citizens out of poverty. Its main trading partners are China, Ivory Coast and France which combined represent around 30 percent of its imports and Switzerland that solely represents more than 50 percent of its exports.

Economic organizations

Gross Domestic Product (US$)

Gross Domestic Product per capita

Amount of memberships (economic organizations)

Absolute earnings for every 1$

Relative earnings

GDP in PPP per capita (in US$)

GDP in PPP per capita

Gross Domestic product (in million US$)

GDP per capita (in US$)

Burkina Faso is a member of 14 international economic organizations which ranks it as the 57th most economically interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Alliance for Financial Inclusion
African development Bank
International Development Law Organization
International Monetary Fund
Islamic Development Bank
West African Development Bank
World Bank Group

World Trade Organization
Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States
Economic Community of West African States
International Renewable Energy Agency
International Solar Alliance
Group of 77

Its GDP is the 125th highest in the world and is estimated to be around US$15 billion which represents 0.02 percent of total global GDP.

Its GDP per capita is among the lowest in the world with an average GDP per capita of US$740 per year. This ranks Burkina Faso as the 178th highest GDP per capita in the world.

The purchasing power parity per capita is also among the lowest in the world with a purchasing power of US$2125 per capita.

Its GDP per surface area is also among the lowest in the world with a GDP of US$55,000 per square kilometer or US$142,000 per square mile.

Surface GDP

GDP per square kilometer (in US$)

GDP per square mile(in US$)

Relative GDP in PPP

The Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) is another way to compare states. PPP researches the prices of several basic market products within each state and calculates the amount of goods a person within that state can buy within its borders.

Its GDP per capita is among the lowest in the world with an average GDP per capita of US$740 per year. This ranks Burkina Faso as the 178th highest GDP per capita in the world.

The relative Gross Domestic Product in Purchasing Power Parity compares the purchasing power of Afghanistan with the rest of the world.

The graph on the left displays the purchasing power parity of the rest of the world in relation to the purchasing power of 1$ in Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso has a population of 20.4 million people which ranks it as the 105th most populous state in the world. Even though French is the official language of Burkina Faso, it is not widely spoken. Mossi is spoken by a majority of the population with the exception of cross border tribes with neighboring states.

Population

Population density

It has an average population density of 191 people per square mile or 74 people per square kilometer.

Emigration

Due to its low income, many Burkinabe are in search for economic prosperity in neighboring states with Ivory Coast receiving more than four fifth of the total emigrated population of 1.6 million people.

Immigration

Immigration has also been relatively high due to a liberal immigration policy as well as economic opportunities within the gold mining sector. In total, around 700,000 people have immigrated to Burkina Faso making it the 63rd largest host of immigrants worldwide.

Literacy

The education system in Burkina Faso is relatively underdeveloped. Even though education is provided for free to its citizens, the attendance rate is below 50 percent. This is largely due to a lack of buildings that are designated for education as well as a lack of subsidized school supplies. This has led it to have one of the lowest literacy rates in the world. With a literacy rate of 38 percent which places Burkina Faso as the 188th most literate state in the world.

Health

Healthcare in Burkina Faso is also relatively underdeveloped with communicable diseases and low nutrition being the largest contributors to early deaths. The average life expectancy is 63 years with women having a life expectancy of 63.8 years and men around 62 years. This makes Burkina Faso the 157th state in the world.

Population density (in km2)

Population density (in mi2)

Religion

Religion in Burkina Faso almost fully consists of Christianity, Islam and indigenous beliefs which often intertwine with each other. Due to a relatively equal share between these religions, Burkina Faso is ranked as the 16th most multi religious state in the world.

Christianity is represented by 22.4 percent of the Burkinabe population making it the second largest religion. Even though this percentage is relatively low, Christians are overrepresented within the government. Tensions between the Christian population and the Islamic population have been on the rise in the last decade with an increase of violent attacks on Christians.

Christianity (share of the total population)

Islam (share of the total population)

Islam arrived in Burkina Faso in the 15th century when merchants actively traded gold and kola nuts with the local people. Some of these merchants settled in the area and intermingled with the local people. Their offspring adheres to Islam and started to increase their percentage of the total population throughout the centuries. At present, around 61.7 percent of the population of Burkina Faso adheres to Islam which makes Burkina Faso the 44th most Islamic state in the world. The majority of these Muslims adhere to the Sunni denomination. However, other denominations, such as the Shia and Maliki denominations are also represented by a large percentage.

There are presently no known Buddhist organizations in Burkina Faso.

Buddhism (share of the total population)

There are currently no known organizations related to Hinduism in Burkina Faso.

Hinduism (share of the total population)

Judaism (share of the total population)

There are currently no known organizations that represent the Jewish faith in Burkina Faso.

Other religions (share of the total population)

Because the main religions largely intertwine with each other, it is hard to determine the share of people that adhere to other religions. It is estimated that around 10.4 percent of the population of Burkina Faso adheres to traditional indigenous beliefs. This is mainly represented by the Dogon religion.

Non-religious (share of the total population)

Atheism in Burkina Faso is represented by a small minority. It is estimated that around 0.26 percent of the population do not adhere to any faith.

Military spending (in % of GDP)

Military spending

On its forces, it spends around US$350 million, or around 2.2 percent of its GDP which makes Burkina Faso the 107th largest military spender.

Throughout its history, the military has played a large role within the political realm of Burkina Faso. It was responsible for a military coup, the military governments as well as the transition towards a democratically elected government. The Armed Forces of Burkina Faso consist of an Air Force and a land force. It does not have a Navy due to the fact that it is landlocked.

Military membership

It is also a member of three international military organizations. This ranks Burkina Faso as the 150th most militarily interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
International Atomic Energy Agency
Non-Aligned Movement

Military membership

International wars

Since its independence, Burkina Faso has participated in two international wars. These are the following:

Agacher Strip War 1985-1985
First Ivorian Civil War 2001-2007

Number of international wars fought

Military spending (in US$ million)

Membership (international political organizations)

Burkina Faso is a member of 11 international political organizations which ranks it as the 98th most politically interconnected state in the world. It is a member of the following organizations:

Member states of the United Nations
International Labour Organization
African Union
Conseil de l'Entente
International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
Member states of the Organization internationale de la Francophonie
Organization of Islamic Cooperation
International Criminal Court

Political Membership

Democracy/dictatorship rating

Burkina Faso has made a large democratic progress from its independence until present date. However, due to its instable past, underdevelopment of its political structural integrity as well as the rise of religious tensions, it is ranked as the 101st most democratic state in the world.

Democracy/Dictatorship

At present, the politics of Burkina Faso takes place as they presidential republic where the Prime Minister is head of government, and the president is head of state. But the Prime Minister and the president share of the executive power.

Translated into the lands of honest men, Burkina Faso has had a tumultuous history. At the start of the 14th century, the territory of Burkina Faso was known as the Mossi Empire. In the end of the 19th century, France had made this territory into a protectorate and turned it into a colony in the 1930s.

Before the name Burkina Faso, it was named by the French as the Upper Volta due to its geographical location to the river Volta. In 1960 it gained independence from France, and became an autonomous republic. However, this only lasted for just over five years when a military coup took place and puts the citizens under military rule.

12 years later, in 1978, Burkina Faso returned to a democracy. This only held for two years when Burkina Faso was plunged back into military coups that lasted for over a decade. At the beginning of the 1990s, Burkina Faso has held official elections which are still held today.