Flag Description

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; red recalls the country's struggle for independence, green is for hope and abundance, and yellow represents the country's mineral wealth

Background: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. Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then. There have been increasing protests over the belief that the president may try to run for a currently unconstitutional third term in the 2015 presidential elections. Burkina Faso's high population growth and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.

Total Area: 274,200 sq km

Land Area:273,800 sq km

Water Area:400 sq km

Land Boundries Total:3,611 km

Border Countries:Benin 386 km, Cote d'Ivoire 545 km, Ghana 602 km, Mali 1,325 km, Niger 622 km, Togo 131 km

Coastline:0 km (landlocked)

Lowest Point:Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m

Highest Point:Tena Kourou 749 m

Population:18365123

Population Growth Rate:3.05% (2014 est.)

Religion:Muslim 60.5%, Catholic 19%, animist 15.3%, Protestant 4.2%, other 0.6%, none 0.4% (2006 est.)

Literacy(%):0.287

Literacy(%) Male:0.367

Literacy(%) Female:21.6% (2007 est.)

Independence Day:5 August 1960 (from France)

National Holiday:Republic Day, 11 December (1958); note - commemorates the day that Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community

Add Comment

* Required information
1000
Drag & drop images (max 3)
Type the numbers for four hundred seventy-two.
Captcha Image
Powered by Commentics

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first!