According to commit4fitness, Burkina Faso is a landlocked country located in the western region of Africa, bordered by Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south and Cote d’Ivoire to the southwest. Burkina Faso has a total area of 274,000 square kilometers (105,900 square miles). Its capital city and largest population center is Ouagadougou located in central Burkina Faso.
The terrain of Burkina Faso is mostly flat with its highest peak being Tena Kourou at 749 meters (2,457 feet). There are also numerous rivers that run through Burkina Faso including the Mouhoun River which provides irrigation for agriculture as well as providing an important transportation route for goods into and out of Burkina Faso. The climate in Burkina Faso ranges from tropical savanna climate in its northern regions to hot semi-arid climate in its southern regions with hot summers and mild winters with temperatures rarely dropping below freezing at night.
Burkina Faso enjoys a pleasant climate year round due to its latitude with temperatures rarely reaching extremes. Summers are hot while winters can be mild with occasional rain throughout most parts of the country.
Manufacturing Sector in Burkina Faso
The manufacturing sector in Burkina Faso is an important part of the country’s economy. It accounts for approximately 15% of the country’s GDP and employs more than 400,000 people. The sector is largely dominated by small-scale production and is heavily reliant on imports for raw materials and machinery.
The majority of manufacturing takes place in the capital, Ouagadougou, as well as smaller towns such as Bobo-Dioulasso and Koudougou. The most important industries are food processing, textiles, leather goods, and wood products. The food processing industry is particularly important as it provides much-needed employment opportunities to thousands of people in rural areas.
In terms of textiles, Burkina Faso produces a variety of cotton fabrics which are exported to countries including France, Germany and Italy. Leather goods such as shoes and bags are also produced in the country which are then exported to other African nations such as Nigeria and Ghana. Wood products form another large part of the country’s manufacturing industry with furniture being a particularly popular export item.
The manufacturing sector in Burkina Faso faces several challenges including a lack of access to finance for small businesses due to low levels of trust from banks when it comes to lending money to entrepreneurs from this sector. Additionally, there is also a lack of skilled labour due to low levels of education within this field which can make it difficult for businesses to recruit suitably qualified staff members. Furthermore, there is a lack of modern technology which can hinder efficiency when it comes to producing large scale projects while inadequate infrastructure can make it difficult for manufacturers to transport their goods around the country or abroad without facing delays or additional costs due to poor roads or unreliable electricity supply networks throughout the nation.
Despite these issues there are still plenty of opportunities within this sector due its importance within Burkina Faso’s economy with initiatives such as public-private partnerships aimed at helping small business owners access finance while providing training programmes aimed at improving skills among workers helping create jobs throughout the nation while boosting economic growth at the same time. Additionally with favourable trade agreements with countries such as China and India businesses operating within this sector can source quality materials at competitive prices while still maintaining high levels of quality control standards.
Mining Sector in Burkina Faso
The mining sector in Burkina Faso is a relatively small but growing contributor to the country’s economy. It is estimated that the sector contributes around 4% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Burkina Faso has considerable mineral resources which have yet to be fully explored and exploited, including gold, manganese, phosphate, quartz, copper and zinc.
Gold is by far the most important mineral resource in Burkina Faso. The country has some of the largest gold deposits in Africa with an estimated 600 metric tons of proven reserves as of 2015. Gold accounts for around 90% of Burkina Faso’s total mineral production and is mainly produced by large-scale open pit mines located near Ouagadougou, the capital city. Other significant gold deposits are located in Séguénéga and Poura regions.
Burkina Faso also has significant deposits of manganese, a metal used in steel production. The country’s only active manganese mine is located at Tambao in Oudalan province and produces around 500 000 metric tons per year. Other minerals found in Burkina Faso include copper, zinc and phosphate which are mainly found near Koudougou region. Copper reserves are estimated at around 17 million metric tons while zinc reserves stand at 30 million metric tons as of 2015.
The mining industry in Burkina Faso provides employment opportunities to thousands of people across the country while generating much needed foreign exchange income through exports to countries such as China and India who are major importers of gold from this region. In addition to providing direct jobs to local communities, mining operations also contribute indirectly through services such as transport and supplies for miners; this helps boost economic growth throughout rural areas where these operations take place.
The government has taken steps to ensure that mining operations within its borders adhere to international environmental standards while also providing support for local communities affected by these projects through initiatives such as compensation packages for those whose land has been used for prospecting or extraction activities; other measures include training programmes aimed at improving safety standards among miners while ensuring compliance with applicable labour laws throughout the industry.
Despite its potential for economic growth, there are still many challenges facing the mining sector in Burkina Faso including inadequate infrastructure which can make it difficult for miners to access remote sites; lack of access to finance due to low levels of trust from banks when it comes to lending money; limited access to modern technology which can hinder efficiency when it comes to large scale projects; high levels corruption among officials which can lead to delays when it comes obtaining licenses or permits; plus a lack of skilled labour due low levels education within this field making it difficult businesses recruit suitably qualified staff members on a regular basis.