A poor country even by West African standards, landlocked Burkina Faso has suffered from recurring droughts, matched in number only by the military coups it has endured, especially during the 1980s.
• Full name: Burkina Faso
• Population: 16.3 million (UN, 2010)
• Capital: Ouagadougou
• Area: 274,200 sq km (105,870 sq miles)
• Major languages: French, indigenous languages
• Major religions: Indigenous beliefs, Islam, Christianity
• Life expectancy: 53 years (men), 56 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) franc = 100 centimes
• Main exports: Cotton, animal products, gold
• GNI per capita: US $510 (World Bank, 2009)
• Internet domain: .bf
• International dialling code: +226
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/52150000/gif/_52150391_burkina.gif)
Burkina Faso has significant reserves of gold, but cotton production is the economic mainstay for many Burkinabes. The industry is vulnerable to changes in world prices.
Formerly Upper Volta, Burkina Faso has spent many of its post-independence years under military rule.
BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13072774)