3 GeoFroggy

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

Administrative Divisions

13 regions; Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Centre, Centre-Est, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Hauts-Bassins, Nord, Plateau-Central, Sahel, Sud-Ouest

Independence

5 August 1960 (from France)

National Holiday

Republic Day, 11 December (1958); note - commemorates the day that Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community

Constitution

Several previous; latest approved by referendum 2 June 1991, adopted 11 June 1991; amended several times, last in 2012 (2012)

Legal System

civil law based on the French model and customary law

International Law Organization Participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)

Head of government: Prime Minister Luc-Adolphe TIAO (since 18 April 2011)

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 on 21 November 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly

Election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president; percent of popular vote - Blaise COMPAORE 80.2%, Hama Arba DIALLO 8.2%, Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 6.3%, other 5.3%

Legislative Branch

Unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (127 seats; members are elected by proportional representation in one national constituency of 16 seats, and 45 multi-member constituencies having between 2 and 9 seats with members serving five-year terms) elections: National Assembly election last held on 2 December 2012 (next to be held in 2017) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP 70, ADF-RDA 19, Union for Progress and Reform 19, UPR 4, UNIR-MS 4, CFD-B 3, PDS/Metba 2, other 6

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of the council president and 3 judges)

Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judge appointments mostly controlled by the president of Burkina Faso; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council judges appointed by the president of Burkina Faso upon the proposal of the minister of justice and the president of the National Assembly; judges appointed for 9-year terms with one-third of judges renewed every 3 years

Subordinate courts: Appeals Court; High Court; first instance tribunals; district courts; specialized courts relating to issues of labor, children, and juveniles; village (customary) courts

Political Parties and Leaders

African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF-RDA [Gilbert OUEDRAOGO]Citizen's Popular Rally or RPC [Antoine QUARE] Coalition of Democratic Forces of Burkina or CFD-B [Zio Eric FRANCOIS] Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Assimi KOUANDA] Democratic and Popular Rally or RDP [Nana THIBAUT] Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Nayabtigungou Congo KABORE] Party for African Independence or PAI [Soumane TOURE] Party for Democracy and Progress-Socialist Party or PDP-PS [Francois O. KABORE] Party for Democracy and Socialism/Metba or PDS/Metba [Hama Arba DIALLO] Party for National Rebirth or PAREN [Barry TAHIROU] People's Movement for Progress or MPP [Roch March KABORE] Rally for the Development of Burkina or RDB [Celestin Saidou COMPAORE] Rally of Ecologists of Burkina Faso or RDEB [Ram OUEDRAGO] Republican Party for Integration and Solidarity or PARIS Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Fidele HIEN] Union for Progress and Change or UPC [Zephirin DIABRE] Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Movement or UNIR-MS [Benewende Stanislas SANKARA] Union for the Republic or UPR [Toussaint Abel COULIBALY] Union of Sankarist Parties or UPS [Ernest Nongma OUEDRAOGO]

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB [Tole SAGNON]Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP [Chrysigone ZOUGMORE] Citizen's Resistance Front [Luc Marius IBRIGA] Group of 14 February [Benewende Stanislas SANKARA] National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB [Laurent OUEDRAOGO] National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL [Paul KABORE] other: watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities

Flag Description

Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; red recalls the country's struggle for independence, green is for hope and abundance, and yellow represents the country's mineral wealth note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National Symbols

White stallion

National Anthem

Lyrics:

Year

Government Type

  • Parliamentary republic

Capital

  • Name
    Ouagadougou
  • Geographic Coordinates
    12 22 N, 1 31 W
  • Time Difference
    UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Seydou BOUDA (since 2 September 2011)
  • Chancery
    2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  • Telephone
    [1] (202) 332-5577
  • FAX
    [1] (202) 667-1882

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Tulinabo S. MUSHINGI (since 25 July 2013)
  • 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] 50-49-53-00
  • FAX
    [226] 50-49-56-28

International Organization Participation

  • ACP
  • AfDB
  • AU
  • CD
  • ECOWAS
  • EITI (candidate country)
  • Entente
  • FAO
  • FZ
  • G-77
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICC (NGOs)
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IDB
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO (correspondent)
  • ITSO
  • ITU
  • ITUC (NGOs)
  • MIGA
  • MINUSMA
  • MONUSCO
  • NAM
  • OIC
  • OIF
  • OPCW
  • PCA
  • UN
  • UNAMID
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNIDO
  • UNISFA
  • UNITAR
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • WADB (regional)
  • WAEMU
  • WCO
  • WFTU (NGOs)
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO