Burkina Faso, Africa Known until 1984 as the “Upper Volta",
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country on the African continent.
Burkina Faso neighbors Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo,
and Ghana. Approximately the size of Colorado, it is one of the
poorest countries in the world with few natural resources. About
90% of the population is engaged in subsistence agriculture.
Cotton is the main cash crop. Along with Mali, Niger, and Chad,
Burkina Faso has begun to lobby to get improved access to
Western markets. Along with the AIDS virus, other problems
within Burkina Faso include female genital mutilation, child
labor, and child trafficking. The government has begun taking
serious steps to combat these problems around the country. In
Burkina Faso, workers have the right to organize unions, and
have used the power in the past to strike. Although education in
Burkina Faso is “free,” it is estimated that only 44% attend
schools due to the high price for supplies, various fees, as
well as the opportunity cost of s