List of Indicators
Failed State Index  (2012)  87.4   (lower is better)  - At Risk
Ease of doing Business (2012)  153  (lower is better)
Corruption Perception Index (2012)  38  (higher is better)
Freedom in the World (2013)  Partly Free

Burkina Faso has been accused of backing Ivorian rebels and profiting from conflict diamonds from Sierra Leone.  However, it has also played a positive role in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS/CEDEOA) responding to crises in neighboring Mali and in Guinea-Bissau.

Facts at Your Fingertips
Full name: Burkina Faso
Population: 17.4 million (UN, 2012) 
Capital: Ouagadougou
Area: 274,200 sq km (105,870 sq miles) 
Ethnic Groups:  Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani)
Major languages: French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population
Major religions: Muslim 60.5%, Catholic 19%, animist 15.3%, Protestant 4.2%, other 0.6%, none 0.4%
Climate: tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers
Life expectancy: 55 years (men), 57 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 CFA (Communauté française d'Afrique) franc = 100 centimes
Main exports: Cotton, animal products, gold
Natural resources: manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt
GNI per capita: US $580 (World Bank, 2011)
Internet domain: .bf
International dialling code: +226
Government
Burkina Faso is a parliamentary republic. The President (usually titled “President du Faso”) is Chief of State, the President of the Council of Ministers, and head of the executive branch. The Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President with legislative consent, is Head of Government. The 127-member National Assembly is popularly elected for 5-year terms from a national national constituency of 16 seats, and 45 multi-member constituencies having between 2 and 9 seats.  It has thirteen administrative division - Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Centre, Centre-Est, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Hauts-Bassins, Nord, Plateau-Central, Sahel, Sud-Ouest.
President Blaise Compaore, who took power in a bloody 1987 coup, won a new five-year term in 2010, despite 2008 challenges to his reign, after 23 years at the helm.  While his term-limit is up at the end of 2015, rumors abound that he will change the constitution to allow another term.
Economy
Burkina Faso is a poor, landlocked country that relies heavily on cotton and (since 2010) gold exports for revenue.  About 90% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture, which is vulnerable to periodic drought. Cotton is the main cash crop.  Burkina Faso revised its investment code in 2004 to attract foreign investment. As a result of this new code and other legislation favoring the mining sector, the country has seen an upswing in gold exploration and production.  Local community conflict persists in the mining and cotton sectors, but the Prime Minister has made efforts to defuse these tension through income tax reductions, reparations for looting victims, and subsidies for basic food items and fertilizer.
International
Burkina Faso has been involved in the various conflicts of the region. Many citizens who had traditionally worked in Ivory Coast fled after recent instability there.  In addition to illicit cross-border activities, Burkina Faso has issues concerning unresolved boundary alignments with its neighbors.  
Recently, Burkina Faso has played a positive role in mediating regional conflicts such as the ones in Mali and Guinea-Bissau.