small Communist party front group; some sympathizers
_#_Other political or pressure groups: committees for the defense of the revolution, watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities
_#_Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO,
FZ, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Paul Desire KABORE; Chancery at 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 332–5577 or 6895;
US—Ambassador Edward P. BRYNN; Embassy at Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou (mailing address is 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou); telephone [226] 30–67-23 through 25 and [226] 33–34-22
_#_Flag: 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 #_Overview: One of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina has a high population density, few natural resources, and relatively infertile soil. Economic development is hindered by a poor communications network within a landlocked country. Agriculture provides about 40% of GDP and is entirely of a subsistence nature. Industry, dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations, accounts for about 15% of GDP.
_#_GDP: $1.75 billion, per capita $205 (1988); real growth rate 3% (1989)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 0.5% (1989)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $275 million; expenditures $287 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
_#_Exports: $262 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—oilseeds, cotton, live animals, gold;
partners—EC 42% (France 30%, other 12%), Taiwan 17%, Ivory Coast 15% (1985)
_#_Imports: $619 million (f.o.b., 1989);
commodities—grain, dairy products, petroleum, machinery;
partners—EC 37% (France 23%, other 14%), Africa 31%, US 15% (1985)
_#_External debt: $962 million (December 1990 est.)
_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.7% (1990est.), accounts for about 15% of GDP (1988)
_#_Electricity: 121,000 kW capacity; 320 million kWh produced, 37 kWh per capita (1989)
_#_Industries: cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold
_#_Agriculture: accounts for about 40% of GDP; cash crops—peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton; food crops—sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock; not self-sufficient in food grains
_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70–89), $294 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–88), $2.7 billion; Communist countries (1970–89), $113 million
_#_Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
_#_Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1—256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
_#_Fiscal year: calendar year
_*Communications #_Railroads: 620 km total; 520 km Ouagadougou to Ivory Coast border and 100 km Ouagadougou to Kaya; all 1.00-meter gauge and single track
_#_Highways: 16,500 km total; 1,300 km paved, 7,400 km improved, 7,800 km unimproved (1985)
_#_Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
_#_Airports: 50 total, 43 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440–3,659 m; 7 with runways 1,220–2,439 m
_#_Telecommunications: all services only fair; radio relay, wire, and radio communication stations in use; 13,900 telephones; stations—2 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
_*Defense Forces #_Branches: Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police
_#_Manpower availability: males 15–49, 1,838,000; 937,304 fit for military service; no conscription
_#Defense expenditures: $55 million, 2.7% of GDP (1988) % @Burma *Geography #_Total area: 678,500 km2; land area: 657,740 km2
_#_Comparative area: slightly smaller than Texas
_#_Land boundaries: 5,876 km total; Bangladesh 193 km, China 2,185 km, India 1,463 km, Laos 235 km, Thailand 1,800 km
_#_Coastline: 1,930 km
_#_Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_Climate: tropical monsoon; cloudy, rainy, hot, humid summers (southwest monsoon, June to September); less cloudy, scant rainfall, mild temperatures, lower humidity during winter (northeast monsoon, December to April)
_#_Terrain: central lowlands ringed by steep, rugged highlands
_#_Natural resources: crude oil, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas
_#_Land use: arable land 15%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 49%; other 34%; includes irrigated 2%
_#_Environment: subject to destructive earthquakes and cyclones; flooding and landslides common during rainy season (June to September); deforestation
_#_Note: strategic location near major Indian Ocean shipping lanes
_*People #_Population: 42,112,082 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 32 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 13 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 95 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 53 years male, 56 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 4.1 children born/woman (1991)
_#_Nationality: noun—Burmese; adjective—Burmese
_#_Ethnic divisions: Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon
