ion

Literacy:
definition : age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 19.2%
male: 29.5%
female: 9.2% (1995 est.)

@Burkina Faso:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Burkina Faso
former: Upper Volta

Data code: UV

Government type: parliamentary

National capital: Ouagadougou

Administrative divisions: 30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba,
Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houe, Kadiogo,
Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri,
Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno,
Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Yatenga, Zoundweogo

Independence: 5 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)

Constitution: 2 June 1991

Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law

Suffrage: none

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October
1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Kadre' De'sire' OUE'DRAOGO (since 6
February 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 1998); prime
minister appointed by the president with the consent of the
legislature
election results: Blaise COMPAORE elected president with 90.4% percent
of the votes of those who voted (the abstention rate was 74.7%)

Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly of People's Deputies or
Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (111 seats; members are popularly
elected to serve five-year terms)
elections : last held 11 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP
97, PDP 6, RDA 2, ADF 2; note - 4 contested seats are to be filled in
special election on 19 June 1997 by order of the Supreme Court
note: the current law also provides for a second consultative chamber,
which has not been formally constituted

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders: Organization for People's Democracy -
Labor Movement or ODP-MT (ruling party at time of 1992 elections but
was subsumed, with about a dozen smaller parties, into the powerful
CDP in February 1996); African Democratic Assembly or RDA [Gerard
Kango OUEDRAOGO]; Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF [Herman
YAMEOGO]; Burkinabe