Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is bordered by Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the south east, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the south west. The country covers an area of 274,200 square kilometres (105,900 sq mi) and its capital is Ouagadougou. The people of Burkina Faso are known as Burkinabé. Burkina Faso is a low income, food deficit country with a population of 17.4 million people (2011). More than 40% of the population live below the international poverty line of US$1.90 a day. The economy of Burkina Faso is based on agriculture, which employs about 80% of the labour force, but only produces about 31% of the GDP. The main crops are sorghum, millet, maize, rice, peanuts, cotton, sesame, and tobacco. The country has significant reserves of gold and manganese. It also has potential for iron ore, copper, zinc, nickel, and lead. Burkina Faso is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).