Burkina Faso (2006) | Bermuda (2005) | |
Administrative divisions | 45 provinces; Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komondjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koulpelogo, Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala, Noumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondoma, Zoundweogo | 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 46.8% (male 3,267,202/female 3,235,190)
15-64 years: 50.7% (male 3,513,559/female 3,538,623) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 140,083/female 208,315) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 18.9% (male 6,177/female 6,154)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,422/female 22,828) 65 years and over: 11.9% (male 3,378/female 4,406) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | cotton, peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock | bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products |
Airports | 34 (2006) | 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 32
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 18 (2006) |
- |
Area | total: 274,200 sq km
land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km |
total: 53.3 sq km
land: 53.3 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Colorado | about one-third the size of Washington, DC |
Background | Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens. Recent unrest in Cote d'Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries. | Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be important to the island's economy, although international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. A referendum on independence was soundly defeated in 1995. |
Birth rate | 45.62 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 11.6 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.033 billion
expenditures: $1.382 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues: $671.1 million
expenditures: $594.6 million, including capital expenditures of $55 million (FY03/04) |
Capital | name: Ouagadougou
geographic coordinates: 12 22 N, 1 31 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Hamilton |
Climate | tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers | subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 103 km |
Constitution | 2 June 1991 approved by referendum, 11 June 1991 formally adopted; amended April 2000 | 8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Burkina Faso local long form: none local short form: Burkina Faso former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda former: Somers Islands |
Death rate | 15.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 7.63 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.85 billion (2003) | $160 million (FY99/00) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Jeanine E. JACKSON
embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4 mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440 telephone: [226] 50-30-67-23 FAX: [226] 50-30-38-90, 50-31-23-68 |
chief of mission: Deputy Chief of Mission Antoinette BOECKER
consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3 mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300 telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342 FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9233 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Tertius ZONGO
chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | two villages are in dispute along the border with Benin; Benin accuses Burkina Faso of moving boundary pillars; Burkina Faso border regions remain a staging area for Liberia and Cote d'Ivoire rebels and an asylum for refugees caught in local fighting; the Ivoirian Government accuses Burkina Faso of sheltering Ivoirian rebels | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $468.4 million (2003) | NA |
Economy - overview | One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has few natural resources and a weak industrial base. About 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, which is vulnerable to harsh climatic conditions. Cotton is the key crop and the government has joined with other cotton producing countries in the region to lobby for improved access to Western markets. GDP growth has largely been driven by increases in world cotton prices. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations. Following the CFA franc currency devaluation in January 1994, the government updated its development program in conjunction with international agencies; exports and economic growth have increased. The government devolved macroeconomic policy and inflation targeting to the West African regional central bank (BCEAO), but maintains control over fiscal and microeconomic policies, including implementing reforms to encourage private investment. The bitter internal crisis in neighboring Cote d'Ivoire continues to hurt trade and industrial prospects and deepens the need for international assistance. | Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, nearly equal to that of the US. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. The effects of 11 September 2001 have had both positive and negative ramifications for Bermuda. On the positive side, a number of new reinsurance companies have located on the island, contributing to the expansion of an already robust international business sector. On the negative side, Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - was severely hit as American tourists chose not to travel. Tourism rebounded somewhat in 2002-04. Most capital equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is small, although construction continues to be important; the average cost of a house in June 2003 had risen to $976,000. Agriculture is limited, only 20% of the land being arable. |
Electricity - consumption | 349.3 million kWh (2003) | 598 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 375.6 million kWh (2003) | 643 million kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 76 m |
Environment - current issues | recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation | asbestos disposal; water pollution; preservation of open space; sustainable development |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
- |
Ethnic groups | Mossi over 40%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani | black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census) |
Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) | Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Paramanga Ernest YONLI (since 6 November 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 13 November 2005 (next to be held in 2010); in April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005; prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.3%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 4.9% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since 11 April 2002)
head of government: Premier William Alexander SCOTT (since 24 July 2003); Deputy Premier Ewart BROWN cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor |
Exports | NA bbl/day | NA |
Exports - commodities | cotton, livestock, gold | reexports of pharmaceuticals |
Exports - partners | China 38.3%, Singapore 12.6%, Thailand 5.7%, Ghana 5.2%, Taiwan 4.4% (2005) | France 73.2%, UK 6.2%, Spain 2.4% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
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 | red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 32.2%
industry: 19.6% services: 48.2% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 10% services: 89% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $36,000 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (2005 est.) | 2% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 13 00 N, 2 00 W | 32 20 N, 64 45 W |
Geography - note | landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas | consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995 |
Highways | - | total: 450 km
paved: 450 km unpaved: 0 km note: public roads - 209 km; private roads - 241 km (2002) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 46.8% (1994) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | NA bbl/day | NA |
Imports - commodities | capital goods, foodstuffs, petroleum | machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals |
Imports - partners | France 24.2%, Cote d'Ivoire 23.7%, Togo 6.8% (2005) | Kazakhstan 39.2%, France 16.2%, Japan 13.1%, Italy 9.2%, South Korea 8.8%, US 6.4% (2004) |
Independence | 5 August 1960 (from France) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 14% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Industries | cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold | tourism, international business, light manufacturing |
Infant mortality rate | total: 91.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 99.17 deaths/1,000 live births female: 83.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 8.53 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.14 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6.4% (2005 est.) | 3.3% (mid-2003 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | Caricom (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCO, Egmont Group, Caribbean Financial Action Task Force |
Irrigated land | 250 sq km (2003) | NA |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Appeals Court | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts |
Labor force | 5 million
note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (2003) |
37,470 (2000) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 90%
industry and services: 10% (2000 est.) |
agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 22%, professional and technical 17%, administrative and managerial 13%, sales 8%, services 20% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 3,193 km
border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 17.66%
permanent crops: 0.22% other: 82.12% (2005) |
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2001) |
Languages | French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population | English (official), Portuguese |
Legal system | based on French civil law system and customary law | English law |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5, PAI 5, other 17 |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms)
elections: last general election held 24 July 2003 (next to be held July 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 48.85 years
male: 47.33 years female: 50.42 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 77.79 years
male: 75.7 years female: 79.91 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 26.6% male: 36.9% female: 16.6% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99% (1970 est.) |
Location | Western Africa, north of Ghana | North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US) |
Map references | Africa | North America |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 108 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,845,326 GRT/6,501,782 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 22, cargo 6, container 22, liquefied gas 13, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 7 foreign-owned: 103 (Australia 2, Canada 20, Finland 2, Germany 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 5, Indonesia 1, Nigeria 8, Norway 5, Sweden 9, Switzerland 2, United Kingdom 27, United States 20) registered in other countries: 1 (2005) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | Army, Air Force of Burkina Faso (Force Aerienne de Burkina Faso), National Gendarmerie (2006) | Bermuda Regiment |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $74.83 million (2005 est.) | $4.03 million (2001) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.3% (2005 est.) | 0.11% (FY00/01) |
National holiday | Republic Day, 11 December (1958) | Bermuda Day, 24 May |
Nationality | noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)
adjective: Burkinabe |
noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian |
Natural hazards | recurring droughts | hurricanes (June to November) |
Natural resources | manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt | limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 2.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or RDA-ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Confederation for Federation and Democracy or CFD [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Joseph KI-ZERBO]; Socialist Party or PS; Union of Greens for the Development of Burkina Faso or UVDB [Ram OVEDRAGO] | Progressive Labor Party or PLP [William Alexander SCOTT]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Grant GIBBONS] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP; Group of 14 February; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL; watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities | Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES] |
Population | 13,902,972
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.) |
65,365 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 45% (2003 est.) | 19% (2000) |
Population growth rate | 3% (2006 est.) | 0.64% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Hamilton, Saint George |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 3 (2002) | AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Railways | total: 622 km
narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge note:: another 660 km of this railway extends into Cote D'Ivoire (2005) |
- |
Religions | Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% | Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: all services only fair
domestic: microwave radio relay, open-wire, and radiotelephone communication stations international: country code - 226; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: good
domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic trunk lines international: country code - 1-441; 3 fiber optic submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 97,400 (2005) | 56,000 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 572,200 (2005) | 37,873 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | 4 (2004) |
Terrain | mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast | low hills separated by fertile depressions |
Total fertility rate | 6.47 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 1.89 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 5% (2002 est.) |