bicameral; consists of a National Assembly or
Assemblee des Deputes Populaires (111 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the purely consultative
Chamber of Representations or Chambre des Representants (178 seats;
members are appointed to serve three-year terms)

elections: National Assembly election last held 11 May 1997 (next
to be held NA 2002)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
CDP 101, PDP 6, RDA 2, ADF 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders: African Democratic Rally-Alliance for
Democracy and Federation or RDA-ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Congress for
Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement
for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Noyabtigungu Congo KABORE]; Party
for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for
Democracy and Progress or PDP [Joseph KI-ZERBO]; Union of Greens for
the Development of Burkina Faso or UVDB [Ram OVEDRAGO]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Burkinabe General
Confederation of Labor or CGTB; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights
or HBDHP; Group of 14 February; National Confederation of Burkinabe
Workers or CNTB; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL;
watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both
organizations and communities

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO (subscriber), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Bruno ZIDOUEMBA

chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577

FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Jimmy J. KOLKER

embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follerau, Koulouba, Secteur 4, Ouagadougou

mailing address: B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01

telephone: [226] 306723

FAX: [226] 303890

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green
with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular
pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Burkina Faso Economy

Economy - overview: One of the poorest countries in the world,
landlocked Burkina Faso has a high populati