Country Information on Burkina Faso 

Terrain

Burkina Faso is located on a plateau which gradually rises towards the south of the country and reaches heights of between 200 and 715 metres. The further north one goes, the drier the land becomes until it eventually turns into the Sahara desert.

There are forests and sugar plantations in the south and there are woodland areas in the east. The plateau is drained by the Black Volta (Mouhoun), Red Volta (Nazinon), and White Volta (Nakanbe) rivers in the south and by small rivers in the east that join the River Niger, none of which are navigable.

Climate

The weather is dry and cold from November to March. It is hot and dry from March to May and it is hot and wet from May to November. Average rainfall ranges from more than 1,000 mm in the south-west to less than 250 mm in the north. Rainfall is heaviest in the summer. The average temperature varies between 21.1° C and 26.7° C.

Fauna/Flora

Burkina Faso's varied climate means that the country has a tremendously diverse landscape. The north of the country, with its infrequent and sometimes lack of rain, is characterised by savannahs of Baobab trees and thorny desert plants that are found in the Sahel. Small tropical forests provide a habitat for a relatively small array of species in the south. Lions, elephants, hippopotamuses, buffalo, antelope and crocodiles can be seen in the country's national parks.

History/Politics

The history of Burkina Faso is largely the history of the ancient Mossi Kingdom. Various Mossi states were formed around the 14th century by peoples who migrated from the north of modern Ghana. They developed a strong administrative system and a tradition of divine kingship, which allowed them to avoid being incorporated into any of the Sudanese empires. However, the Kingdom of Songhai conquered the Mossi in the 15th century.

The Mossi kingdom became autonomous again in the 16th century. The French set up a protectorate over the Kingdom of Ouagadougou in 1896 and the area became part of the colony Upper-Senegal-Niger in 1904. It was made into a separate constituent territory of French West Africa in 1919, only to be divided up in 1932 between the French Sudan and Côte d'Ivoire. It was reconstituted as the separate territory of Upper Volta in 1947.

Following the reforms of the French Union in 1957, Upper Volta became a self-governing republic and a member of the new French community. A government was formed and Maurice Yaméogo, leader of the Voltaic Democratic Union, became president. In 1959, Upper Volta joined the council of the Entente, a loose association based on mutual political and economic interests. The Entente was composed of the Ivory Coast (now Côte d'Ivoire), Niger, Dahomey (now Benin), and Togo.

The country gained its independence from France in 1960 and Yaméogo was overthrown in a military coup in 1966. Decades of coups ensued, one of which resulted in Captain Thomas Sankara taking control of the country. Whilst he was in government, vaccination against measles and yellow fever were made obligatory for all children, native doctors were trained to work in rural areas, 350 schools were built and the power that officials had was reduced.

In 1984, a year after the coup that had brought Captain Thomas Sankara, head of the National Revolutionary Council, to power, the country's name was officially changed to Burkina Faso ("Land of the Incorruptible"). As a result of the fact that he reduced ministers' salaries by 25% and some tribal chiefs feared that they would lose their authority, Sankara was overthrown in another coup in 1987 and was later shot dead. Captain Blaise Compaoré has been president of Burkina Faso since then.

In 1991, a new constitution was approved in a referendum and multiparty elections were held again in 1992. Compaoré won the presidential elections in 1998. In 2001 and 2003, in collaboration with international donors and United Nations organisations, Compaoré implemented programmes to tackle the HIV/AIDS pandemic and poverty, which are still in force today.

Economy

Although Burkina Faso has received economic assistance since gaining independence, it is still considered to be one of the poorest countries in the world because its soil is not very fertile and its population is increasing at a rapid rate. Agriculture (predominantly subsistence farming) is the backbone of the country's economy; the land has been exhausted in some areas. Burkina Faso has a workforce of four million people, 80% of whom work in agriculture. Widespread unemployment and underemployment cause many farm workers to go to the richer countries further south to seek either seasonal or permanent employment. Inflation was 1.7% in 2003.

Culture

Each ethnic group has its own artistic style but the art of the Mossi, Bobo and Lobi is the most famous. The Mossi are known for their impressive antelope masks, which are two metres high and are painted red or white. The masks are worn at funerals. The Bobo make large masks in the shape of butterflies that are painted with stripes of red, white and black and are used to call to the Gods during fertility ceremonies. It is the Lobi who fight the most to preserve old traditions, such as their initiation rites for young men. The Lobi are also known for their wood carvings that are supposed to protect the family.