Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is one of Africa's poorest countries, tourism is a realtively new and slowly developing concept, although the governemnet has pledged money towards advancing this area.
Burkino faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, it is bordered to the west and North by Mali, to to the east by Niger, to the south east by Benin, to the south by Togo and Ghana, and tio the south west by Ivory Coast.
Total Area:274,200 sq km
Land Borders: Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Togo
Population: 13,902,972
Life Expectancy: 49 years
HIV % Total Poulation:4.2%
Ethnic Groups: Mossi over 40%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani
Languages:French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population
President:Blaise COMPAORE
GDP - Per Capita: $1,300
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.