Land of Traditions and Hospitality
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
Burkina Faso is a land-locked country. It is located in the middle of the west African region. It shares borders with six countries : Benin in the south-east, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo in the South, Mali in the North and Niger in the East and North-East.
It has three main rivers (the Mouhoun in the West, the Nazinon and the Nakanbé in the middle of the country. The Mouhoun river is the most important.
The surface area of Burkina Faso is approximately 274 000 kmē. Burkina Faso is not a hilly-land escape country. The height of the plateaus is around 500 m. The highest mountain of the country (747 m) is the Tenakrou which is located in the west of the country at the border with Mali
CLIMATE
Burkina Faso is a sunny sahelian country with two seasons: hot and rainy season. The hottest months are March and April (44°c maximum) and the coldest are December and January (10°c minimum).
POPULATION
According to the census of 1996, Burkina Faso is one of the most populated countries in the west African sub-region : There are more than 10 million inhabitants.
The poulation is not equally settled over the country. The average density of population is 37 inhabitants/kmē, with 5.8 inhabitants/kmē in the province of Kadiogo. The two main towns of the country are Ouagadougou (more than one million inhabitants) and Bobo Dioulasso (more than 300 000 inhabitants). These towns are international business places. 63.7% of the urban population live in these cities. However the urbanization of these cities is very low (18.4% in 1996) compared with other west African countries (35 to 40%).
Since the colonial period, Burkina Faso has been considered as a reservoir of labour for the neighbouring countries especially Côte d'Ivoire. But according to recent studies and surveys on migration of people, citizens of Côte d'Ivoire now migrate to Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso has more than 60 ethnic groups. The most important ones are the Mossi, Peulh, Lobi-Dagari, Mandé, Bobo, Senoufo, Gourounsi, Bissa and Gourmatché.
French is the official language in Burkina. The most important languages of the sixty native languages are Mooré, Dioula and Foulfoudé.
THE COLONIAL HISTORY OF BURKINA FASO
Burkina Faso has a rich colonial and contemporary history. In the 19th century, strong traditional powers ruled the territory. The most important ones were the mossi kingdoms (or Mossé, singular : Moaga). The well-known kingdoms are Wogodogo, Yatenga and Tenkodogo. The kingdom of Wogodogo was ruled by the Mogho-Naba, the mossi emperor. Other political groups such as the Gouiriko Kingdom of the Ouattara in the west of the country or the Fullani Emirate in the North of Liptako were also important.
The societies in the west of the country did not have a centralized political power such as those in the central region. At the end of the 19th century, Frenchmen, Englishmen and Germans competed to occupy the territory. After some attempts to resist colonial invasion, Burkina Faso finally became a French colony and from 1896 to 1904 Burkina Faso was ruled as a French military territory.
After 1904 the territory was integrated into the French colony of Haut-Senegal Niger. It became the autonomous colony of Upper Volta in 1919. In 1932 the colony was dismantled and shared among the neighbouring colonies of Côte d'Ivoire, French Sudan (now Mali) and Niger.
In 1947 under the pressure of its populations led by Mogho-Naba Kom II, the territory of Upper Volta became once again a colony keeping its former borders. Upper Volta became a member of the French Union created in 1946. From that date Upper Volta was put under the French administration.
On December 11th, 1958 Upper Volta was proclaimed a republic and became independent on August 5th 1960.
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY
The contempory history of Bukina Faso is full of political instabilities. In 40 years, Burkina Faso had a total of 4 constitutional political systems and six military regimes. Burkina Faso has so far been ruled by six different Heads of State. Only the first President (1960-1966) Maurice Yameogo was a civilian.
On August 4th, 1984, the first anniversary of the Revolution, Upper-Volta was named Burkina Faso which means in Mooré (Dioula languages) "land of honest people". The inhabitants are called "Burkinabé" a combination of Mooré and Foulfouldé languages. A new flag and a new national anthem are now in use.
This political instability ended on June 2nd 1991 thanks to the advent of the 4th constitution. This has brought about a parliamentary democratic system.
POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTION
The Head of State : He is responsible for the state policy. After the revision of the Constitution in April 2000, the president can be in office for 5 years, instead of seven and he can only be reelected once.
Mr Blaise Compaoré was first elected in December 1991 as Head of the State. He was reelected in December 1998 for a second mandate of seven years.
The Government : The government enforces the national policy. The Prime Minister, is appointed by the president.
The parliament has 2 branches :
The National Assembly deals with legislation. It has 111 members of parliament. They are elected for 5 years, and so is their Chairman.
Members of the parliament have been elected in 1992 and in 1997.
In Burkina Faso there are more than sixty political parties but only ten of them are really active. The political organizations represented in the assembly are as follows:
An autonomous Constitutional Council has also been created.
The high Court of Justice. It deals with matters related to the President and the members of the government. It is composed of magistrates appointed by the President and Members or Parliament mandated by the National Assembly.
Le Mediteur du Faso (Ombudsman). The mediator is a moral authority appointed by the Head of State with a tenure of 5 years. The mediator's decision is irrevocable and his mandate cannot be renewed. He is totally independent and is acting to reconcile civil servants with the civil administration.
Council for Social and Economic Matters : it advises the government on Social and Economic matters.
Radio Television Body which monitors broadcasting (C.S.I) Its mission is to regulate information (journalism). It garantees equal access of political parties to the state medias. It regulates the use of medias by political parties during electoral campaigns. The president of this Institution is appointed by the Head of State.
DECENTRALIZATION
The national commission for decentralization (C.N.D) was created in 1993 and is under the authority of the Prime Minister. It deals with the decentralization of the public services.
According to the constitution of Burkina Faso, the country should be divided into provinces and districts which are financially and administratively autonomous.
Today Burkina Faso has 45 provinces. The provincial authority is the "Haut Commissaire" appointed by the government. Burkina Faso also has 49 main districts which will be ruled by Mayors after the local election of the year 2000.
According to the constitution, decentralization will strengthen our democracy and will lead to economic and social development of the local community.
The national commission for decentralization is trying to publish official documents on decentralization and a very important step has already been reached with the adoption of the T.O.D (Texts on decentralization).
The T.O.D state four main laws on decentralization in Burkina Faso :
ECONOMY
Burkina Faso is a land-locked sahelian country. It is one of the poorest country in Africa. The natural resources are very limited. That's why people are working very hard to satisfy their daily needs. The financial management is also appreciated in the sub-region. Burkina Faso also receives assistance from external partners for public investments.
The economy of Burkina Faso relies on agriculture (cotton) and on breeding. These two domains provide 40% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The manufacturing sector, essentially based on building trades and public works, provide 18% of the GDP. The service sector contributes with 39%.
The foreign debt of Burkina Faso which was relatively low before the devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 has since then become a crippling burden : the foreign debt has raised from 480 billion to 780 billion CFA francs. In 1996 the foreign debt to exportation ratio was 250% (beyond 200% is unbearable rate). At this period 85% of the foreign debt was multilateral debt which couldn't be rescheduled.
The Structural Adjustment Programmes (S.A.P) which have been initiated since 1991 is now becoming profitable for the country. The following figures show that the economy of Burkina Faso is increasing. Since 1996 the rate of the economic growth has been around 5% every year. Despite the negative aspects of the climate and the inflation rate of 3%, the GDP has been up by 5% every year since 1994. The devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994 contributed to economic recovery.
Efforts have been made through the improvement of laws and institutions to encourage and ensure free enterprise in Burkina Faso.
The Chamber of Commerce, the Foreign Trade Office, the Loaders' Body have been reorganized to bring more effective support to the private sector.
That is why Burkina Faso is now participating in the sub-region reforms such as :
The West African Economic and Monetary Integration (8 nations of the UEMOA) and the West African States Economic Community (16 nations of ECOWAS) will strengthen this position.
AGRICULTURE AND BREEDING
Eighty six per cent (86%) of the working population work in agriculture and breeding. They supply 80% of the exportation incomes.
The economy of Burkina Faso is based on agriculture. This agriculture relies on the production of crops for consumption : millet, sorghum, maize, rice, peanuts, yams, fonio. This agriculture covers 88% of the farming land (the yield is lower than 850 kg/ha). The cash crops such as : cotton, shea-nuts, peanuts, sesame, fruits and vegetables are mainly exported and provide important incomes.
We have also small family farms (3 to 6 ha per family). This farming is based on traditional methods which are clearing and lying fallows. Therefore, these farms face many difficulties: lack and irregularity of rains, poor management of water, the degradation of natural resources and the impoverishment of soils ... However, many advantages and potentias do exist allowing hope for the future. These are among others :
The strategy of the government to increase production involves the assistance of the producers, the professionalisation and modernization of farming, and the combination of agriculture and breeding. The existence of local, regional and internal markets would encourage investments in this sector.
Burkina Faso is also known as an agro-pastoral sahelian country. The contribution of breeding to the GDP is about 12%. It also represents 25% of the export incomes. It is the second source of income after cotton. Breeding is essentially trans-human and traditional. In 1998 the livestock was estimated at 28 million animals. After the devaluation of the F CFA, many people got interested in breeding and related sectors got developed (cattle, meat, leather, milk, poultry farming, pig breeding).
INDUSTRY
Industry is not yet developed. Only 1% of the working population work in this domain. It provides 15% of the GDP. There are about 100 factories. Most of them are located in big towns : Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulassa. Medium sized towns such as Koudougou and Banfora also have some factories.
To improve this sector, strategies of development were adopted in 1998. Industry in Burkina Faso is essentially dealing with the processing of local raw materials which are : cotton, cereals, food and vegetables, oleaginous plants, milk, meat, leather, rubber, metal, quarries, building materials, chemical products (fertilizers and pesticides) and pharmaceutical products.
MINES
Burkina Faso possesses important underground minerals reserves. Up to October 1999 Burkina Faso delivered 183 licences for mining and more than 287 billion CFA francs were involved in mines prospecting.
Burkina Faso comes after South Africa and Ghana in mines prospecting. The mine sector is increasing because some incentive measures have been taken into consideration in this purpose : the adoption of legal texts encouraging investments in mining, the mining code of 1997 provides taxes and duties advantages to mine companies.
International mining companies in Burkina Faso are mainly interested in gold. Most of them are from South Africa, Canada and the USA. Unfortunately mining has stopped for a moment because of the collapse of gold prices.
More than 75 000 people work manually in more than 200 mining sites in very difficult and dangerous conditions. According to the office in charge of mining, they only produce 1 tonne of gold every year.
Other mineral resources are not yet extracted. For example : The manganese of Tambao (19 million tonnes with 53% quality rate) and the manganese of Perkoa.
TRANSPORT
Burkina Faso is a land-locked country and is only served by road, railway and air. The essentials of freight generated by foreign trade of Burkina Faso is by sea via the port of Abidjan and Lomé. Burkina Faso is linked to the six neighbouring countries capitals by main roads. For many years now, we have noticed a qualitative and quantitative development in the transportation of passengers and goods. Many private transportation companies are now using the different roads through the country. The restructured railway is now used for the exportation of cotton, sheanuts and cattle; it is also used for the importation of building materials.
Seven regular air companies are operating in Burkina Faso. There are two international airports. One in Ouagadougou and the other in Bobo Dioulasso. There are also fifty airfields throughout the country.
The national air company links the country to the neighbouring capitals. The national company will be privatized very soon.
ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
The country is covered with steppes, savannahs, forests and sacred woods.
Desertification issues have become very important in Burkina Faso as it is damaging the vegetation and the land. Men and climate are responsible for desertification through farming, clearing of trees, over grazing, bush-fire, abusive use of fire woods.
Many non-governmental and governmental initiatives have been undertaken to reduce the process of degradation of natural resources and to improve the living conditions of the population. A national plan for the environment (PANE) has been adopted. This plan is dealing with strategies for land and national patrimony management and the improvement of living conditions. The main strategy for the preservation of environment and water is based on the fight against desertification and pollution, and also on the management of forest and water.
In order to get water for the population, thousands of drillings sites have been built. The building of the Bagré, Kompienga and Sourou dams have increased the water capacity. This offers new possibilities for farming and fishing.
The important rural exodus, the rapid urbanization and the industrial development have increased the environmental problems. In fact the country is facing problems of the cleaning up of industrial and medical waste.
About forest resources management the policy is to develop natural resources by a rational use of the forest. If well done, this may be a source of employment and income in rural areas. Forest management also includes the protection of the ecosystem by struggling against bush fires, abusive use of wood.
Reforestation is also done in this purpose. The national policy about forest implies ;
FOREIGN TRADE
Foreign trade of Burkina Faso is showing a deficit. About 30% of the GDP is used for importation. The importation concerns a large variety of equipment, materials and goods.
The rate of exportation is around 14% of the GDP. Only few products are exported : cotton (more than 60% of the exportation), breeding (20%), gold (10%). The exportation of animals and meat represents 16% of the total exportation, 11% are cows. The exportation of leather which represents 5% of the total exportation has really increased since the devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994.
The first economic partner of Burkina Faso is Côte d'Ivoire which is the first exporting country in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). In this economic and monetary union, taxes and duties have been positively revised since January 18th 2000 and this should promote trade among the member states
ARTS and CRAFTS
Artcraft is the second job provider after agriculture. 30% of the working population are involved in it. This sector is known as the informal sector. Artcraft is the part time activities of farmers. Since the creation of the SIAO (International Art and craft show of Ouagadougou), artcraft has become a very important sector. There are more demand for artcraft products of Burkina Faso. Measures are undertaken to promote this sector :
The international art and craft show of Ouagadougou is the international meeting of African craftsmen. It's a biannual meeting. During this meeting craftsmen have the opportunity to discuss matters that concern their trade.
Some of the products to be displayed during the meeting will be weaving, bronze, jewelllery, painting and batik.
TOURISM
More than 300 touristic sites exist : rivers, forests, historical ruins such as those of Lorepeni, dunes in the sahel, birds of Oursi, cave painting in Po be mengao, and Arbinda. There are also specific markets in Gorom-Gorom and Markoye. Typical villages in Koro, Koumi and Pala, the Guinguette forest in Bobo Dioulasso, falls in Karfiguela, escarpments in Banfora .
The increasing number of hotels show that tourism is developing in the country. There are more than 185 hotels which have a total capacity of 4000 rooms. Most of them are in Ouagadougou and in Bobo Dioulasso cities hosting international meetings every year.
Four main tourist zones are proposed to visitors :
Tourism is more interesting from July to August. However, the period from November to December is also advised because of the climate and the facilities of transportation. Most of the tourists prefer the hunting period which goes from December to June.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
The FESPACO (Panafrican Films Festival of Ouaga) is a worldwide meeting of filmakers which takes place in Ouagadougou every two years. With this Festival Ouagadougou has become the capital of African films. The seventeenth festival will take place from February 24th, to March 3rd 2001.
The FITD (the International Theatre Festival for Development) and the FITMO (the International Theatre and Puppets Festival of Ouagadougou) are two important Theatre festivals in the continent.
All the aspects of our culture are being promoted by other festivals such as Koudougou Atypic Nights, masks festival, festival of balafons and djembé, and the tales festival of Boussé.
TELECOMMUNICATION
90% of the telecommunication network is automatic. The communication network has been managed by the national office of telecommunication (ONATEL) for a long time It has an administrative and financial autonomy, it provides many services related to communication.
Thus, as an example an office of data transmission FASOPAC has been settled to face the permanent needs of national and international communication of hotels, banks, air companies and organization.
December 1996 is an important date for communication in Burkina Faso. It is from this very date that the mobile (TELEMOB) and private telecenters have been introduced in the system of telecomunications. It is also the date of access to the internet with FASONET.
OUAGADOUGOU : A MODERN TOWN WITH A GLORIOUS PAST.
Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso is, according to historians, the former capital of the Mossi Kingdom. It was in 1641 that this town was chosen as permanent residence of the Mossé emporors (Naba). Ouagadougou is a mispronunciation of the word "Wogodogo" Meaning place of honor in Mooré language.
The Mossi emperor (Mogho Naba) has his permanent palace near the district stadium. He has a great instance in the country. Every Friday, people and tourists can watch ritual ceremonies which has been taking since the 19th century.
Today Ouagadougou is a big modern town of 1 million inhabitants with permanent growth (10% per year). On the administrative level, Ouagadougou is a main district composed of 5 secondary districts and 17 villages. Ouagadougou is ruled by a district council, its members are elected for 5 years.
On the architectural level there are many admiriable buildings in Ouagadougou. For example, the building of the west African Central Bank, the European Union building and the building of the Burkina Faso Insurance Union (UAB).
The architecture of these buildings comes from the traditional way of building houses. Tourists can also admire monuments in public places and in public halls. This is proof of the creativity of Burkina Faso artists.
There are big avenues and gardens everywhere in the town. The district council is acting to keep the places cleaned. Women are always sweeping these roads. The most attractive garden is the "place Naba koom" near the railway station. There is also "le jardin de l'Amité" at the UN roundabout.
The new big market of Ouagadougou is appropriated to the business downtown. There are plenty of bicycles in Ouagadougou. This is why people are interested in cycling. The "Tour du Faso" is the most important cycling meeting gathering thousands of people. Tourists can visit many places in Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is also well known for its bronze carvings and there is a special place designed for this activity.
OUAGADOUGOU : A REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL
The head offices of many international organizations are in Ouagadougou. The latest one is the head office of UEMOA (West African Economic and Monetary Union) created in 1994. The members of this Union are Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinée Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
Burkina Faso has an international conferences centre "Ouaga 2000" (10kms from the town). It also has fifty presidential residences. Head of States and VIP were accommodated there during the "France-Afrique" summit and during the 21st African Cup of Nations.
Burkina Faso has been selected to host head offices of many international organizations. Many international and inter-african organizations are represented in Burkina Faso.
(ASECNA - BCEAO - BOARD-U.N agencies-OUA) Non-governmental organizations are also established in Burkina Faso and are intervening in rural areas to improve the living conditions of villagers.
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