conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Burkina Faso
former: Upper Volta

UV

parliamentary

Ouagadougou

30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba,
Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houe, Kadiogo,
Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri,
Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno,
Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Yatenga, Zoundweogo
note: a new electoral code was approved by the National Assembly in
January 1997; the number of administrative provinces was increased
from 30 to 45 (Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou,
Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo,
Kenedougou, Komandjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koupelogo, Kouritenga,
Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala,
Naumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Samentenga, Sanguie,
Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro,
Zondomo, Zoundweogo), however, this change has not yet been approved
by the US Board on Geographic Names

5 August 1960 (from France)

Anniversary of the Revolution, 4 August (1983)

2 June 1991 approved by referendum; 11 June 1991
formally adopted

based on French civil law system and customary law

universal

chief of state: President Captain Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October
1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Kadre Desire OUEDRAOGO (since 6
February 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
the president may serve unlimited terms; election last held 15
November 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by
the president with the consent of the legislature
election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president with 88% percent
of the vote, with 56% of voter turnout
note: despite his reelection, President COMPAORE faces a growing
political crisis due to his mishandling of an investigation into the
assassination of a newspaper editor and pressure for political reform

bicameral; consists of a National Assembly or
Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (ADP) (111 seats; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the purely consultative
Chamber of Representations or Chambre des Representants (178 seats;
members are appointed to serve three-year terms)
elections: National Assembly election last held 11 May 1997 (next to
be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CDP
101, PDP 6, RDA 2, ADF 2

Supreme Court; Appeals Court

African Democratic Rally or RDA [Gerard
Kango OUEDRAOGO, Clement SANOU]; Alliance for Democracy and Federation
or ADF ; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP
; Group for Progressive Democrats or GDP [Issa
TIENDREBEOGO]; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP
; Party for African Independence or PAI
; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Joseph
KI-ZERBO]; Party for Progress and Social Development or PPDS [leader
NA]; Union of Greens for the Development of Burkina Faso or UVDB [Ram
OVEDRAGO]

Burkinabe General Confederation
of Labor or CGTB; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or HBDHP; Group
of 14 February; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB;
National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL; watchdog/political
action groups throughout the country in both organizations and
communities

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU,
NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WADB
(regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

chief of mission: Ambassador Bruno ZIDOUEMBA
chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:  (202) 332-5577
FAX:  (202) 667-1882

chief of mission: Ambassador Jimmy J. KOLKER
embassy: Avenue Raoul Follerau, Ouagadougou
mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou
telephone:  306723 through 306725
FAX:  303890

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green
with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular
pan-African colors of Ethiopia