*Burkina, 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.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3.3 billion (1991)
National product real growth rate:
1.3% (1990 est.)
National product per capita:
$350 (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-1% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $495 million; expenditures $786 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1991)
Exports:
$304.8 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
cotton, gold, animal products
partners:
EC 45%, Taiwan 15%, Cote d'Ivoire 15% (1987)
Imports:
$593 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
machinery, food products, petroleum
partners:
EC 51%, Africa 25%, US 6% (1987)
External debt:
$865 million (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 5.7% (1990 est.), accounts for about 23% of GDP (1989)
Electricity:
120,000 kW capacity; 320 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles,
gold mining and extraction
Agriculture:
accounts for about 30% 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 (1970-89), $2.9 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $113 million
Currency:
1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 274.06 (January 1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11
(1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
*Burkina, Communications
Railroads:
620 km total; 520 km Ouagadougou to Cote d'Ivoire 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)
Airports:
total:
48
usable:
38
with permanent-surface runways:
2
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
8
Telecommunications:
all services only fair; microwave radio relay, wire, and radio communication
stations in use; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
*Burkina, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, People's Militia
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,947,935; fit for military service 995,532 (1993 est.); no
conscription
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
*Burma, Geography
Location:
Southeast Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Bangladesh and Thailand
Map references:
Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
678,500 km2
land area:
657,740 km2
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total 5,876 km, 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:
200 nm or to the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
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:
petroleum, 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%
Irrigated land:
10,180 km2 (1989)
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
*Burma, People
Population:
43,455,953 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.88% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
28.88 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
10.05 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
65.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
59.5 years
male:
57.5 years
female:
61.63 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.7 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Burmese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Burmese
Ethnic divisions:
Burman 68%, Shan 9%, Karen 7%, Rakhine 4%, Chinese 3%, Mon 2%, Indian 2%,
other 5%
Religions:
Buddhist 89%, Christian 4% (Baptist 3%, Roman Catholic 1%), Muslim 4%,
animist beliefs 1%, other 2%
Languages:
Burmese; minority ethnic groups have their own languages
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
81%
male:
89%
female:
72%
Labor force:
16.007 million (1992)
by occupation:
agriculture 65.2%, industry 14.3%, trade 10.1%, government 6.3%, other 4.1%
(FY89 est.)