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Sub-Saharan Africa
Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. The country has very few natural resources. The terrain in the north of the country consists of semi-arid, thorn savannah. Hardly any water is available here and virtually no fertile farming land. Conditions in the south are only marginally better.
In the 1990s, Burkina Faso started opening up to democracy, a process that is still ongoing today. The great tolerance shown by the people in ethnic and religious matters is typical of this country where more than 60 ethnic groups co-exist peacefully. This is also reflected in the country’s name: in translation, the terms "Burkina" and "Faso", which are taken from the two most widely spoken languages in the country, mean "Land of the Upright".
With population growth of more than 3 per cent per annum (2008), Burkina Faso’s population is expected to double within 40 years. This presents the country with major problems relating to food security, social service provision, and water and energy supply. The high rate of population growth means that there is little prospect of real economic growth. It also has an impact on urbanisation: urban population growth is currently estimated to be 5 per cent per year.
Relations between Burkina Faso and Germany centre on development cooperation. The main focus of German involvement in Burkina Faso is on agriculture and natural resource management, decentralisation and municipal development, and water supply and sanitation.
German Embassy
German Embassy in Burkina Faso
399, Avenue Mogho
Naba Koom 1
Ouagadougou 01
Burkina Faso
Phone: 00 226 / 50 / 30 67 31
Fax: 00 226 / 50 / 31 39 91
