Independence from France came to Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) in 1960. Governmental instability during the 1970s and 1980s was followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Several hundred thousand farm workers migrate south every year to Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.
Location
Western Africa, north of Ghana
Area Comparative
Slightly larger than Colorado
Maritime Claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
Tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Natural Hazards
Recurring droughts
Environment Current Issues
Recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation
Environment International Agreements
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography Note
Landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas
