General info

• Burkina Faso is located in the Sub-Saharan desert region of West Africa
• It has a population of over 15,000,000
• The nation gained independence from France in 1960
• French is the primary language spoken

Climate

• Burkina Faso has 2 seasons: rainy and dry
• Water shortages are often a problem, especially in the northern country
• The Sahel (the desert area in the north) typically receives less than 24″ of rainfall each year, and has temperatures as high as 115-120 Farenheit in the shade

Economic

• Burkina Faso has one of the lowest GDPs (gross domestic product) per capita incomes in the world at $1,200
• The country occupies 6th from last place on the Human Development Index
• Unemployment causes a high rate of emigration (three million citizens of Burkina Faso live in the neighboring country of the Ivory Coast)
• Agriculture represents 32% of its GDP and occupies 80% of the working population

Health

• Central government spends only 3% on health care
• As of 2004, it was estimated that there were as few as 6 physicians per 100,000 people
• In addition, there were only 41 nurses and 13 midwives per 100,000 people
• Average life expectancy is 48 years for females and 47 years for males

Education

• Since school costs appx $97 USD per year, education is far above the means for most Burkinabe families
• The UN Development Program Report ranks Burkina Faso as the country with the lowest level of literacy in the world