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 based on primitive methods. Burkina Faso is a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).