Burkina Faso Basic Information

Burkina Faso is a landlocked, low-income country located in West Africa. The country’s economy is based primarily on agriculture (almost 30% of GDP); however, it is the fourth largest gold producer in Africa. In the pre-Covid years, the country was experiencing strong economic growth driven by gold and cotton production. Despite the upheaval, the economy will be supported in 2022-23 by robust gold production and rising cotton export volumes (supported by rising global prices). However, Burkina Faso’s growth is unlikely to return to historic levels due to general uncertainty in 2022-23 and the shock of a coup in 2022. Burkina Faso is likely to copy the military regimes that recently toppled civilian governments in Chad, Guinea and Mali and try to consolidate their position in power. The insurgency in the country now poses a regional threat that threatens that it will spread to coastal West African states. Real GDP growth is expected to fall from an estimated 3.8% in 2021 to 2.3% in 2022 and then rise to 3.1% in 2023. Growth in both years will be supported by increased economic growth in neighboring countries, which will support Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso’s biggest exports are gold, raw cotton, zinc ore, coconuts, Brazil nuts and cashews and other oilseeds. Cotton and gold are Burkina Faso’s key exports – gold accounted for roughly three-quarters of the country’s total export earnings. Burkina Faso’s economic growth and income are highly dependent on production levels and global commodity prices. The country has seen an uptick in gold exploration, mining and exports. It imports the most plastic household goods, plastic pipes, packaged medicines, mixed mineral or chemical fertilizers and cement. Burkina Faso’s biggest export destinations are Switzerland, India, Turkey, Germany and Spain. The largest importers are Ghana, France, China, India and Togo.

This Summary Territorial Information is processed for a country that is so-called accredited. The information is provided in an abbreviated form.

Basic information about the territory

Subchapters:

• System of governance and political tendencies in the country
• Foreign policy of the country
• Population

The system of governance and political tendencies in the country

Burkina Faso’s politics takes place within a semi-presidential republic headed by the Prime Minister of Burkina Faso and a multi-party system. The head of state is the president of Burkina Faso. Executive power is exercised by both the president and the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the parliament. The party system was dominated by the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP) until the 2014 uprising. Since then, the CDP has lost influence. The main political parties in Burkina Faso are: ADF/RDA (Alliance pour la démocratie et la fédération/Rassemblement démocratique africain) – liberal CDP (Congrès pour la démocratie et le progrès) – leftist; it is the party of ex-president Blaise Compaoré CPD (Parti pour le développement et le changement) Le Faso autrement – ​​centrist/liberal. The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative powers. The President is elected by popular vote for a five-year term and may serve up to two terms. The prime minister is appointed by the president with the approval of the legislature. The Constitution of 2 June 1991 established a semi-presidential government with a Parliament (French: Assemblée) that can be dissolved by the President of the Republic, who is elected for a 5-year term. In 2000, a constitutional amendment was adopted reducing the presidential term from 7 to 5 years, which was enforced during the 2005 elections. The National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) has 111 members, who are called Deputies, and are elected for five-year terms by proportional representation. The Senate, as described in Burkina Faso’s constitution, would consist of representatives of local government units, customary and religious authorities, workers, employers and persons appointed by the President of Burkina Faso, and would hold office for six years. who are called Deputies and are elected for a five-year term by proportional representation. The Senate, as described in Burkina Faso’s constitution, would consist of representatives of local government units, customary and religious authorities, workers, employers and persons appointed by the President of Burkina Faso, and would hold office for six years. who are called Deputies and are elected for a five-year term by proportional representation. The Senate, as described in Burkina Faso’s constitution, would consist of representatives of local government units, customary and religious authorities, workers, employers and persons appointed by the President of Burkina Faso, and would hold office for six years. Check cancermatters to learn more about Burkina Faso political system.

Foreign policy of the country

Burkina Faso plays a key role in the fight against terrorism in West Africa. It is a member country of the G-5 Sahel, the US-backed Trans-Saharan Counter-Terrorism Partnership, works closely with neighboring countries to combat terrorism, is a key partner in Western counter-terrorism operations, and hosts both US and French special forces. Burkina Faso continued to rely on international aid and multinational forces. Fears that insecurity in the region would drive a new wave of migration meant that Sahel countries, including Burkina Faso, remained a priority for European states’ foreign policy and development. The rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Burkina Faso has received significant attention from key international partners and donors, notably France, the Netherlands, the United Nations and the US, have supported programs to improve the justice sector, addressing prison overcrowding and extended pretrial detention for terrorist suspects, providing human rights training for security forces. In October, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights signed an agreement to establish an office to monitor the operations of the security forces and more generally to support the National Commission for Human Rights and Civil Society. Check prozipcodes for Burkina Faso defense and foreign policy.

In 2021, the EU supported humanitarian action in Burkina Faso with EUR 37.7 million, including funding to address food shortages. EU humanitarian aid focused on supporting internally displaced persons and host populations affected by the ongoing armed conflict. The EU supported the World Health Organization’s early detection and response programs and provided relevant field expertise. The EU also supported vaccination through UNICEF.

Population

Population: 21.37 million

Average annual population growth: 2.86%

Population structure by age groups: 0-14 years: 43.58% 15-24 years: 20.33% 25-54 years: 29.36% 55-64 years: 3.57% 65 years and more: 3.16% Average age of the population – 17.4 years Structure of ethnic groups: ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ .9% Gurunsi 4.8% Lobi 4.7% Tuareg 2.5% Others 6.5%

Structure of religious groups ○ Islam 60% ○ Catholics 19% ○ Protestants 4.2% ○ Traditional/Animist 13.3% ○ Other 1% ○ No religion 0.4%