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 2015 for setting a two-term limit for presidents; note - constitution temporarily suspended between late October and mid-November 2014 (2016)

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

Citizenship by birth: no

Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Burkina Faso

Dual citizenship recognized: yes

Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: President Roch Marc Christian KABORE (since 29 December 2015)

Head of government: Prime Minister Paul Kaba THIEBA (since 6 January 2016)

Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

Elections:

Election results: Roch Marc Christian KABORE elected president in one round; percent of vote - Roch Marc Christian KABORE 53.5%, Zephirin DIABRE 29.6%, Tahirou BARRY 3.1%. Benewende Stanislas SANKARA 2.8%, other 10.9%

Legislative Branch

Description: unicameral National Assembly (127 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

Elections: last held on 29 November 2015 (next to be held in 2020)

Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MPP 55, UPC 33, CDP 18, Union for Rebirth/Sankarist Party 5, ADF/RDA 3, other 13

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (consists of NA judges); Council of State (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of the council president and 9 members)

Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judge appointments mostly controlled by the president of Burkina Faso; judges have no term limits; Council of State judge appointment and 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 membership 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

Youth Alliance for the Republic and Independence or AJIR [Adama KANAZOE]

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

National Union for Primary Education Teachers or SYNATEB

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

National Symbols

White stallion; national colors: red, yellow, green

National Anthem

Lyrics:

: undefined

Year

Government Type

  • Presidential 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Seydou SINKA (since 1 November 2014)
  • 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 Salama MUSHINGI (since 5 August 2013)
  • Embassy
    Rue 15.873, Avenue Sembene Ousmane, Ouaga 2000, Secteur 15
  • Mailing Address
    01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - US Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440
  • Telephone
    [226] 25-49-53-00
  • FAX
    [226] 25-49-56-28

International Organization Participation

  • ACP
  • AfDB
  • AU
  • CD
  • ECOWAS
  • EITI (compliant country)
  • Entente
  • FAO
  • FZ
  • G-77
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICC (NGOs)
  • ICCt
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IDB
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO
  • 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