Burkina Faso: Introduction

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in Western Africa that borders Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Niger, and Togo. The geography of Burkina Faso is mostly flat savanna with access to three principal rivers: the Black, Red, and White Voltas. The government system is a presidential republic; the chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. Burkina Faso has a largely traditional economic system in which the majority of the population engages in subsistence agriculture, and the allocation of available resources is made on the basis of primitive methods. Burkina Faso is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).