point: Tena Kourou 749 m

Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits
of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc,
silver

Land use:
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 22%
forests and woodland: 50%
other: 15% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 200 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: recurring droughts

Environment--current issues: recent droughts and desertification
severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution,
and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography--note: landlocked

People

Population: 11,575,898 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 48% (male 2,792,895; female 2,759,072)
15-64 years: 49% (male 2,700,253; female 2,978,168)
65 years and over: 3% (male 147,017; female 198,493) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.7% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 45.84 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 17.56 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 107.19 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 45.89 years
male: 44.97 years
female: 46.84 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.56 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)
adjective: Burkinabe

Ethnic groups: Mossi about 24%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo,
Mande, Fulani

Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly
Roman Catholic) 10%

Languages: French (official), tribal languages belonging to
Sudanic family, spoken by 90% of the population

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

Government

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

Data code: UV

Government type: parl