Burkina+Faso

Burkina Faso.



**General Information:** Burkina Faso is land locked by six countries in Africa, Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the south east, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the south west.

**Tourism:** Burkina Faso is usually safe and respectful country; in West Africa. There are no special precautions necessary, in terms of safety, to take. Women travelers rarely experience any problems and foreigners, especially white ones, frequently garner significant attention (Nassara!) - but the interest is entirely harmle ss.Passport and a visa are required to enter the country. You generally should obtain your visa in advance.

As there is a majority of Muslim people, remember to use always your right hand for eating, greeting, etc.
 * Respect is needed:**

**Location:** Western Africa total: 274,200 sq km, slightly larger than Colorado tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers 15,746,232 62 Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population parliamentary republic annual or perennial crops 2009: 1,343,000,000 cotton Manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt Dust storms droughts shea butter Ouagadougou 21.8% $17.82 billion (2008 est.) 128 $1,200 (2008 est.) 208 1.2% of GDP (2006)
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**Burkina Faso Timeline:**

. **1982** - Zerbo overthrown in coup led by Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo following industrial unrest.
 * 1919** - Upper Volta becomes separate constituent territory of French West Africa.
 * 1980** - Lamizana ousted in coup led by Saye Zerbo.
 * [[image:http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40907000/jpg/_40907995_burkina_cotton_afp.jpg width="203" height="152" caption="Cotton field in Boromo, Burkina Faso "]]Cotton production is a mainstay of the economy ||
 * 2001** - Meningitis epidemic kills more than 1,500.
 * 2002** October - Neighbouring Ivory Coast accuses Burkina Faso of sheltering dissident Ivorian soldiers. Burkina Faso raises concerns about attacks on Burkinabes in Ivory Coast after September's Ivorian military uprising.
 * 2004** April - Military tribunal tries 13 people accused of plotting coup against President Compaore in October 2003. Army captain Luther Ouali jailed for 10 years for masterminding plot.
 * 2005** November - President Compaore wins a third straight term in office.
 * 2006** January-April - Meningitis outbreak kills more than 600 people.
 * 2006** December - Burkina Faso postpones a regional economic summit after deadly gun battles between police and soldiers in the capital.
 * 2007** May - The ruling party wins a majority in parliamentary polls.
 * 2008** April - Two-day general strike follows weeks of protests about high living costs and call for wage increases.

**Current Event of Burkina Faso.**
 * 2009** April: The Parliment passes a law requiring at least 30% of candidates put foward for election by political parties to be women.
 * Septemember 29th, 2009:** The United Nations has sent two experts to assess contamination of water and soil in Burkina Faso, one of the countries hit hardest by the devastating West African floods, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced today.

**The Flag represents Burkina Faso.** The red portion of this flag, shows children in the country that die before the age of one. The green portion of this flag, shows children in the country that die before the age of three. The yellow star on this flag, shows children in the country that will live to adult age.