Facts and Figures
44 FACTS AND FIGURES Area: 274,000 sq km (slightly bigger than the United Kingdom) Population: 8.8 million (1989 estimate) Population growth rate: 2.7 per cent per annum Main ethnic groups: Mdssi, Peul, Lobi, Mande, Bobo, Gourounsi, Gourrhantche, Senoufou Life expectancy: 48 years Climate: Three climatic zones: the Sahelian (north), maximum annual rainfall 300 mm; Sudano- Sahelian (central), max. rainfall 300-600 mm; Sudano-Guinean (south/south west), rainfall 600- Preparing the evening meal In Titao 1200 mm. village: the leaves of the baobab tree will go in the sauce which flavours the Religion: Traditional animist 60 per cent, Moslem 30 per to. cent, Christian 10 per cent (all approximate) (Jeremy Hartley/Oxfam) Languages: Official language: French. Main national languages: Moore, Dioula, Fulfulde Capital: Ouagadougou (pop. 500,000). Other towns: Bobo Dioulasso (250,000), Koudougou (54,000), Ouahigouya (40,000) Currency: Franc CFA =100 centimes (under a fixed exchange rate, 50 FCFA = 1 French franc) National budget: FCFA 100 billion (£200 million) (1988 est.) 0 Average income: £135 p.a. per capita Exports: Gold, raw cotton, livestock, shea nuts, hides and skins, sesame seeds Foreign debt: £480 million (at 1 January 1988). Debt service as a percentage of export earnings, 1987: 12.7 per cent (due), 7.8 per cent (paid) (Jeremy Hartley/Oxfam) (Mark Edwards/Oxfam) 45 DATES AND EVENTS 1100-1400 An early branch of the Mossi people arises north of the River Niger and captures Timbuktu (1337) and other lands, before being finally defeated by Moslem forces of the Songhai empire. Late 1400s Naaba Oubri founds the Kingdom of Ouagadougou, marking the beginning of the Mossi empire.
[Show full text]