Socialist Bloc or BSB [Earnest Nongma OUEDRAOGO,
president]; Burkinabe Environmentalist Party or UVDB; Congress for
Democracy and Progress or CDP [Din Salif SAWADAGO] (the strongest
party in the 1997 legislative elections); Front for Social Forces or
FFS [Fide'le KIENTEGA]; National Convention of Progressive
Patriots-Social Democratic Party or CNPP-PSD [Moussa BOLY] (not
prominent in 1997); Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Joseph
KI-ZERBO]; Party for Progress and Social Development or PPDS; Party
for African Independence or PAI

Political pressure groups and leaders: committees for the defense of
the revolution; watchdog/political action groups throughout the
country in both organizations and communities

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM,
OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Gaetan R. OUEDRAOGO
chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577, 6895

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sharon P. WILKINSON (16 July 1996)
embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou
mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou
telephone: [226] 306723 through 306725
FAX : [226] 303890

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green
with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular
pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy

Economy - overview: One of the poorest countries in the world,
landlocked Burkina Faso has a high population density and a high
population growth rate, few natural resources, and a fragile soil.
Over 80% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture which
is highly vulnerable to variations in rainfall. Industry remains
dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations.
Following the African franc currency devaluation in January 1994 the
government updated its development program in conjunction with
international agencies, and exports and economic growth have
increased.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $8 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.4% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $740 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 31%
industry: 25%