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Burkina Faso's capital is [[Ouagadougou]]. After gaining independence from [[France]] in 1960, the country underwent many governmental changes until arriving at its current form, a [[Semi-presidential system|semi-presidential]] [[republic]]. The president is [[Blaise Compaoré]].
Burkina Faso's capital is [[Ouagadougou]]. After gaining independence from [[France]] in 1960, the country underwent many governmental changes until arriving at its current form, a [[Semi-presidential system|semi-presidential]] [[republic]]. The president is [[Blaise Compaoré]].


FUCKING FULL OF NIGGERS
== History ==
{{main|History of Burkina Faso}}
===Early history===

Burkina Faso was populated early, between 12000 and 5000 [[Anno Domini|BC]], by [[hunter-gatherer]]s in the northwestern part of the country, whose tools, such as [[Scraper (archaeology)|scrapers]], [[chisel]]s and [[arrowhead]]s, were discovered in 1973. Settlements appeared between 3600 and 2600 BC with farmers. Based on traces of the farmers' structures, the settlements appear to have been permanent. The use of iron, ceramics and polished stone developed between 1500 and 1000 BC, as well as a preoccupation with spiritual matters, as shown by burial remains.

Relics of the [[Dogon]] are found in Burkina Faso's north and northwest regions. The Dogon left the area between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to settle in the cliffs of [[Bandiagara]]. Elsewhere, the remains of high walls are localized in the southwest of Burkina Faso (as well as in the Côte d'Ivoire), but the people who built them have not been identified.

During the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Burkina Faso was an important economic region for the [[Songhai Empire]].

===From colony to independence===

[[Image:Burkina-faso-dourtenga.jpg|thumb|left|Traditional huts in south-east Burkina Faso]]
After a decade of intense rivalry and competition between the British and the French, waged through treaty-making expeditions under military or civilian explorers, the [[Mossi]] kingdom of Ouagadougou was defeated by French colonial forces and became a French protectorate in 1896. The eastern region and the western region, where a standoff against the forces of the powerful ruler [[Samori Ture]] complicated the situation, came under French occupation in 1897. By 1898, the majority of the territory corresponding to Burkina Faso today was nominally conquered; however, control of many parts remained uncertain. The French and British convention of 14 June 1898 ended the scramble between the two colonial powers and drew the borders between the countries' colonies. On the French side, a war of conquest against local communities and political powers continued for about five years. In 1904, the largely pacified territories of the [[Volta River|Volta basin]] were integrated into the [[Upper Senegal and Niger]] colony of [[French West Africa]] as part of the reorganization of the French West African colonial empire. The colony had its capital in [[Bamako]].

[[Conscription|Draftees]] from the territory participated in the European fronts of [[World War I]] in the battalions of the [[Tirailleurs sénégalais|Senegalese Rifles]]. Between 1915 and 1916, the districts in the western part of what is now Burkina Faso and the bordering eastern fringe of Mali became the stage of one of the most important armed oppositions to colonial government, known as the Volta-Bani War. The French government finally suppressed the movement, but only after suffering defeats and being forced to gather the largest expeditionary force of its colonial history up to that point. Armed opposition also wracked the Sahelian north when the [[Tuareg]] and allied groups of the Dori region ended their truce with the government.
[[French Upper Volta]] was established on [[March 1]], [[1919]] under the [[French Third Republic|Third Republic]] as a part of [[French West Africa]], from territories that had been part of the colonies of [[Upper Senegal and Niger]] and the [[Côte d'Ivoire]]. This move was a result of French fears of the recurrence of armed uprising along with economic considerations led the colonial government to separate the present territory of Burkina Faso from Upper Senegal and Niger to bolster its administration. The new colony was named [[French Upper Volta|Upper Volta]] and François Charles Alexis Édouard Hesling became its first [[List of governors of Upper Volta|governor]]. Hesling initiated an ambitious road-making program and promoted the growth of cotton for export. The cotton policy, based on [[coercion]], failed, and revenue stagnated. The colony was later dismantled on [[September 5]], [[1932]] being split up on the Côte d’Ivoire, [[French Sudan]] and [[Niger]]. Côte d'Ivoire received the largest share, which contained most of the population as well as the cities of Ouagadougou and [[Bobo-Dioulasso]].
[[Image:Pionniers de la révolution.jpg|thumb|170px|right|Children of the 1983-1987 revolution]]

The decision was reversed during the intense anti-colonial agitation that followed the end of World War II.After [[World War II]], on [[September 4]], [[1947]] the colony was revived as a part of the [[French Union]], with its previous boundaries. On 11 December 1958, it achieved [[Self-governance|self-government]] and became the [[Republic of Upper Volta]] and a member of the Franco-African Community. A revision in the organization of French Overseas Territories began with the passage of the Basic Law (Loi Cadre) of [[July 23]], [[1956]]. This act was followed by reorganizational measures approved by the French parliament early in 1957 that ensured a large degree of self-government for individual territories. Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French community on [[December 11]], [[1958]]. Full independence from France was attained in 1960.

=== Upper Volta ===
The '''Republic of Upper Volta''' ({{lang-fr|République de Haute-Volta}}) was established on [[December 11]], [[1958]], as a [[self-governing colony]] within the [[French Community]]. The name Upper Volta indicated that the country contains the upper part of the [[Volta River]]. The river is divided into three parts, called the [[Black Volta]], [[White Volta]] and [[Red Volta]], and the colors of the national flag corresponded to the parts of the river.

Before attaining autonomy it had been [[French Upper Volta]] and part of the [[French Union]]. On [[August 5]], [[1960]] it attained full independence from [[French Fourth Republic|France]]. The first president, [[Maurice Yaméogo]], was the leader of the [[Voltaic Democratic Union]] (UDV). The 1960 constitution provided for election by universal suffrage of a president and a national assembly for 5-year terms. Soon after coming to power, Yaméogo banned all political parties other than the UDV. The government lasted until 1966 when after much unrest-mass demonstrations and strikes by students, labor unions, and civil servants-the military intervened.

The military coup deposed Yaméogo, suspended the constitution, dissolved the National Assembly, and placed Lt. Col. [[Sangoulé Lamizana]] at the head of a government of senior army officers. The army remained in power for 4 years, and on [[June 14]], [[1970]], the Voltans ratified a new constitution that established a 4-year transition period toward complete civilian rule. Lamizana remained in power throughout the 1970s as president of military or mixed civil-military governments. After conflict over the 1970 constitution, a new constitution was written and approved in 1977, and Lamizana was reelected by open elections in 1978.

Lamizana's government faced problems with the country's traditionally powerful trade unions, and on [[November 25]], [[1980]], Col. [[Saye Zerbo]] overthrew President Lamizana in a bloodless coup. Colonel Zerbo established the Military Committee of Recovery for National Progress as the supreme governmental authority, thus eradicating the 1977 constitution.

Colonel Zerbo also encountered resistance from trade unions and was overthrown two years later, on [[November 7]], [[1982]], by Maj. Dr. [[Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo]] and the Council of Popular Salvation (CSP). The CSP continued to ban political parties and organizations, yet promised a transition to civilian rule and a new constitution.

Factional infighting developed between moderates in the CSP and the radicals, led by Capt. [[Thomas Sankara]], who was appointed prime minister in January 1983. The internal political struggle and Sankara's leftist rhetoric led to his arrest and subsequent efforts to bring about his release, directed by Capt. [[Blaise Compaoré]]. This release effort resulted in yet another military coup d'état on [[August 4]], [[1983]].

After the coup, Sankara formed the National Council for the Revolution (CNR), with himself as president. Sankara also established Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDRs) to "mobilize the masses" and implement the CNR's revolutionary programs. The CNR, whose exact membership remained secret until the end, contained two small intellectual Marxist-Leninist groups. Sankara, Compaore, Capt. [[Henri Zongo]], and Maj. [[Jean-Baptiste Lingani]]-all leftist military officers-dominated the regime.

Under the direction of Sankara the name of the state was changed on [[August 4]], [[1984]], from Upper Volta to [[Burkina Faso]], meaning "the country of honorable people."


==In popular culture==
==In popular culture==

Revision as of 03:52, 30 November 2008

Burkina Faso
Motto: "Unité, Progrès, Justice"  (French)
"Unity, Progress, Justice"
Anthem: Une Seule Nuit  (French)
One Single Night
Location of Burkina Faso
Capital
and largest city
Ouagadougou
Official languagesFrench
Recognised regional languagesMòoré, Dioula
Demonym(s)Burkinabé
GovernmentSemi-presidential republic
• President
Blaise Compaoré
Tertius Zongo
Independence 
from France
• Date
August 5, 1960
Area
• Total
274,000 km2 (106,000 sq mi) (74th)
• Water (%)
0.1%
Population
• 2005 estimate
13,228,000 (66th)
• 1996 census
10,312,669
• Density
48/km2 (124.3/sq mi) (145th)
GDP (PPP)2007 estimate
• Total
$16.561 billion[1] (117th)
• Per capita
$1,206[1] (163rd)
GDP (nominal)2007 estimate
• Total
$6.751 billion[1]
• Per capita
$491[1]
Gini (2003)39.5
medium
HDI (2007)Increase 0.370
Error: Invalid HDI value (176th)
CurrencyWest African CFA franc (XOF)
Time zoneGMT
• Summer (DST)
not observed
Driving sideright
Calling code226
ISO 3166 codeBF
Internet TLD.bf
  1. The data here is an estimation for the year 2005 produced by the International Monetary Fund in April 2005.

Burkina Faso (Template:PronEng burr-KEE-nə FAH-soh), also known by its short-form name Burkina, is a landlocked nation in West Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the south east, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the south west. Formerly called the Republic of Upper Volta, it was renamed on August 4, 1984, by President Thomas Sankara to mean "the land of upright people" in Moré and Dioula, the major native languages of the country. Literally, "Burkina" may be translated, "men of integrity," from the Moré language, and "Faso" means "father's house" in Dioula. The inhabitants of Burkina Faso are known as Burkinabé (Template:PronEng burr-KEE-nə-bay).

Burkina Faso's capital is Ouagadougou. After gaining independence from France in 1960, the country underwent many governmental changes until arriving at its current form, a semi-presidential republic. The president is Blaise Compaoré.

FUCKING FULL OF NIGGERS

West German chancellor Helmut Schmidt liked to describe the Soviet Union of the 1980s as "Upper Volta with missiles", according to David Halberstam in an article published in an August 2007 Vanity Fair magazine. The phrase "Upper Volta with rockets" was also used to describe the Soviet Union (in quotes, but with no attribution) in a survey on the Soviet economy in The Economist on April 9, 1988. According to Perry Anderson, the phrase was popular among foreign diplomats in the 1970s. He suggests the modern Russia might be "Saudi Arabia with Rockets".[2]

The country's first military coup occurred in 1966, and civilian rule returned in 1978. Another coup, led by Saye Zerbo in 1980, was overthrown in 1982. A counter-coup was launched in 1983, and it brought the charismatic Captain Thomas Sankara to leadership. In 1984, the revolutionary government changed the name of the country to Burkina Faso and created a new flag and national anthem. The president is Blaise Compaoré, who came to power in 1987 after a coup d'état that killed Thomas Sankara.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Burkina Faso

The constitution of 2 June 1991 established a semi-presidential government with a parliament which can be dissolved by the President of the Republic, who is elected for a term of seven years. In 2000, however, the constitution was amended to reduce the presidential term to five years. The amendment took effect during the 2005 elections. The amendment also would have prevented the sitting president, Blaise Compaoré, from being reelected; however, notwithstanding a challenge by other presidential candidates, the constitutional council ruled in October 2005 that because Compaoré was the sitting president in 2000, the amendment would not apply to him until the end of his second term in office. This cleared the way for his candidacy in the 2005 election. On 13 November, Compaoré was reelected in a landslide due to a divided political opposition.

The parliament consists of two chambers: the lower house, known as the National Assembly, and the upper house, the House of Representatives. There is also a constitutional chamber, composed of ten members, and an economic and social council whose roles are purely consultative.

Regions, provinces, and departements

Regions of Burkina Faso.
Regions of Burkina Faso.
Main articles: Regions of Burkina Faso, Provinces of Burkina Faso, and Communes of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is divided into thirteen regions, forty-five provinces, and 301 departements. The regions are:

Geography and climate

Satellite image of Burkina Faso
Main article: Geography of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is made up of two major types of countryside. The larger part of the country is covered by a peneplain, which forms a gently undulating landscape with, in some areas, a few isolated hills, the last vestiges of a Precambrian massif. The southwest of the country, on the other hand, forms a sandstone massif, where the highest peak, Ténakourou, is found at an elevation of 749 meters (2,450 feet). The massif is bordered by sheer cliffs up to 150 meters (490 feet) high. The average altitude of Burkina Faso is 400 meters (1,300 feet) and the difference between the highest and lowest terrain is no greater than 600 meters (2,000 feet). Burkina Faso is therefore a relatively flat country.

The country owes its former name of Upper Volta to three rivers which cross it: the Black Volta (or Mouhoun), the White Volta (Nakambé) and the Red Volta (Nazinon). The Black Volta, along with the Komoé, which flows to the southwest, is one of the country's only two rivers which flow year-round. The basin of the Niger River also drains 27% of the country's surface. Its tributaries, the Béli, the Gorouol, the Goudébo and the Dargol, are seasonal streams and only flow for four to six months a year. They still, however, can cause large floods. The country also contains numerous lakes. The principal lakes are Tingrela, Bam and Dem. The country also contains large ponds, such as Oursi, Béli, Yomboli and Markoye. Water shortages are often a problem, especially in the north of the country.

Savannah near the Gbomblora Department, on the road from Gaoua to Batié.

Burkina Faso has a primarily tropical climate with two very distinct seasons. In the rainy season, the country receives between 600 and 900 millimeters (24-35 inches) of rainfall, and in the dry season, the harmattan, a hot dry wind from the Sahara, blows. The rainy season lasts approximately four months, May/June to September, and is shorter in the north of the country. Three climatic zones can be defined: the Sahel, the Sudan-Sahel, and the Sudan-Guinea. The Sahel in the north typically receives less than 600 millimeters (24 inches)[3] of rainfall per year and has high temperatures, 5–47 °C (40–115 °F). A relatively dry tropical savanna, the Sahel extends beyond the borders of Burkina Fasi, from the Horn of Africa to the Atlantic Ocean, and borders the Sahara to its north and the fertile region of the Sudan to the South. Situated between 11°3' and 13°5' north latitude, the Sudan-Sahel region is a transitional zone with regards to rainfall and temperature. Further to the south, the Sudan-Guinea zone receives more than 900 millimeters (35 inches)[3] of rain each year and has cooler average temperatures.

Burkina Faso's natural resources include manganese, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt and small deposits of gold.

Burkina Faso's fauna and flora are protected in two national parks and several reserves, see List of national parks in Africa.

Economy

Shop in Burkina Faso.
Main article: Economy of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has one of the lowest GDP per capita incomes in the world: $1,200. This ranks it as the 28th poorest nation.[4] Agriculture represents 32% of its gross domestic product and occupies 80% of the working population. It consists mostly of livestock but also, especially in the south and southwest, of growing sorghum, pearl millet, maize (corn), peanuts, rice and cotton.

Unemployment causes a high rate of emigration. For example, three million citizens of Burkina Faso live in Côte d'Ivoire. According to the Central Bank of West African States, these migrants send substantial amounts of money back to Burkina Faso each year [citation needed]. Since the 1967 expulsions from Ghana, this situation has provoked tensions in the recipient countries. The most recent crisis occurred owing to the events of 2003 in Côte d'Ivoire, which led to the return of 300,000 migrants.

A large part of the economic activity of the country is funded by international aid.

The currency of Burkina Faso is the CFA franc.

There is mineral exploitation of copper, iron, manganese and, above all, gold.

Burkina Faso also hosts the International Art and Craft Fair, Ouagadougou, better known by its French name as SIAO, Le Salon International de l' Artisanat de Ouagadougou, one of the most important African handicraft fairs.

Demographics

United Nations Square in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Main article: Demographics of Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso's 14.4 million people (as of 2006) belong to two major West African cultural groups--the Voltaic and the Mande (whose common language is Dioula). The Voltaic Mossi make up about one-half of the population. The Mossi claim descent from warriors who migrated to present-day Burkina Faso from Ghana and established an empire that lasted more than 800 years. Predominantly farmers, the Mossi kingdom is still led by the Mogho Naba, whose court is in Ouagadougou.[5]

Burkina Faso is an ethnically integrated, secular state. Most of Burkina's people are concentrated in the south and center of the country, sometimes exceeding 48 per square kilometer (125/sq. mi.). Hundreds of thousands of Burkinabe migrate to Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, many for seasonal agricultural work. These flows of workers are obviously affected by external events; the September 2002 coup attempt in Cote d'Ivoire and the ensuing fighting there have meant that hundreds of thousands of Burkinabe returned to Burkina Faso.[5]

Burkina Faso has an estimated life expectancy at birth of slightly under 50 years of age.[citation needed] The median age of its inhabitants is under 17.[citation needed] As of 2006, the population growth rate is 3%.[citation needed]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Burkina Faso

While exact statistics on religion in Burkina Faso are not available and vary widely, the Government of Burkina Faso estimated in its most recent census (1996) that approximately 60 percent of the population practice Islam, and that the majority of this group belong to the Sunni branch, while remaining minorities adhere to the Shi'a branch, and significant numbers of Sunni Muslims identify with the Tijaniyah Sufi, or Salafi traditions.[6] The Government also estimated that 24 percent of the population maintains traditional indigenous beliefs, 17 percent practices Roman Catholicism, and 3 percent are members of various Protestant denominations.[6]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Burkina Faso
Cinema Sanyon in Bobo-Dioulasso.

Literature in Burkina Faso is based on the oral tradition, which remains important.[7] In 1934, during French occupation, Dim-Dolobsom Ouedraogo published his Maximes, pensées et devinettes mossi (Maximes, Thoughts and Riddles of the Mossi), a record of the oral history of the Mossi people.[7] The oral tradition continued to have an influence on Burkinabé writers in the post-independence Burkina Faso of the 1960s, such as Nazi Boni and Roger Nikiema.[8] The 1960s saw a growth in the number of playwrights being published.[7] Since the 1970s, literature has developed in Burkina Faso with many more writers being published.[9]

The theatre of Burkina Faso combines traditional Burkinabé performance with the colonial influences and post-colonial efforts to educate rural people to produce a distinctive national theatre. Traditional ritual ceremonies of the many ethnic groups in Burkina Faso have long involved dancing with masks. Western-style theatre became common during colonial times, heavily influenced by French theatre. With independence came a new style of theatre inspired by forum theatre aimed at educating and entertaining Burkina Faso's rural people.

The cuisine of Burkina Faso, typically of west African cuisine, is based around staple foods of sorghum, millet, rice, maize, peanuts, potatoes, beans, yams and okra.[10]

The cinema of Burkina Faso is an important part of West African and African film industry.[11]

Education

Main article: Education in Burkina Faso

Education in Burkina Faso is divided into primary, secondary and higher education.[12] However schooling is not free. Secondary school costs approximately CFA 50,000 ($97 USD) per year, which is far above the means of most Burkinabé families. Boys receive preference in schooling; as such, girls' education and literacy rates are far lower than their male counterparts. An increase in girls' schooling has been observed due to the government's policy of making school cheaper for girls and granting them more scholarships. In order to proceed from elementary to middle school, middle to high school or high school to college, national exams must be passed. Institutions of higher education include the University of Ouagadougou, The Polytechnical University in Bobo-Dioulasso and the University of Koudougou, which is also a teacher training institution. There are private colleges in the capital city of Ouagadougou but these are affordable by only a small portion of the population.

There is also an International School of Ouagadougou (ISO), which is an American-based private school located in Ouagadougou.

The United Nations Development Program Report ranks Burkina Faso as the country with the lowest level of literacy in the world, despite a concerted effort to double its literacy rate from 12.8% in 1990 to 25.3% in 2008.[1]

See also

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References

  1. ^ a b c d "Burkina Faso". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  2. ^ Anderson, Perry. London Review of Books, Vol 29, No.2, 25 January 2007
  3. ^ a b "SIM Country Profile: Burkina Faso". {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessmonthday= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "CIA World Factbook, GDP Per Capita Rank Order".
  5. ^ a b "Burkina Faso". U.S. Department of State (June 2008). Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. ^ a b International Religious Freedom Report 2007: Burkina Faso. United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (September 14, 2007). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ a b c Salhi, Kamal (1999). Francophone Voices. Intellect Books. p. 37. ISBN 1902454030. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ Allan, Tuzyline Jita (1997). Women's Studies Quarterly: Teaching African Literatures in a Global Literary. Feminist Press. p. 86. ISBN 155861169X. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ Marchais, Julien. Burkina Faso (in French). Petit Futé. pp. 91–92. ISBN 2746916010. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ "Oxfam's Cool Planet - Food in Burkina Faso". Oxfam. Retrieved 2008-05-21.
  11. ^ Spaas, p.232
  12. ^ http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Burkina-Faso-EDUCATION.html




















Republic of Upper Volta
République de Haute-Volta
1958–1984
Coat of arms of Upper Volta
Coat of arms
Motto: "Unité - Travail - Justice"  Template:Fr icon
"Unity - Work - Justice"
Anthem: Hymne Nationale Voltaïque
Location of Upper Volta
CapitalOuagadougou
Common languagesFrench
GovernmentRepublic
President 
• 1959-66
Maurice Yaméogo
• 1983-84
Thomas Sankara
High Commissioner 
• 1958-59
Max Berthet
• 1959-60
Paul Masson
Prime Minister 
• 1971-74
Gérard Kango Ouedraogo
• 1983
Thomas Sankara
Historical eraCold War
December 11, 1958 1958
August 5, 1960
• Renamed
August 4, 1984 1984
CurrencyCFA franc
Preceded by		 Succeeded by
French Upper Volta
Burkina Faso
Map showing the Volta river in Upper Volta


References

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