Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960.

Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s.

Current President Blaise COMPAORE came to power in a 1987 military coup and has won every election since then.

Burkina Faso’s high population density and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.

Recent unrest in Cote d’Ivoire and northern Ghana has hindered the ability of several hundred thousand seasonal Burkinabe farm workers to find employment in neighboring countries.