Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is situated in the Sahel, south of the Sahara desert. The Mossi empire governed this land until the close of the 19th century, when it became a French protectorate and later a colony, called Upper Volta by the French. The country gained its independence in 1960, and received its African name during the time of military coups in the 1980s. Over 90 percent of the population is engaged in agriculture, mostly subsistence farming and nomadic herding. One of the main threats to the economy is recurrent drought. Many innovative local groups are working with the rural population to improve living conditions. Cotton is the main export product. In recent years, Burkina Faso has taken a lead in defending the cause of cotton from the South in the WTO negotiation rounds. Islam was introduced to the area during the 18th century, and Christianity came with colonization. Today over half of all Christians are Catholics. The Protestant denominations belong to the Evangelical and Pentecostal traditions. The largest is the Assemblies of God (Pentecostal, 800,000 members). Together they form the Federation of Evangelical Churches and Missions, affiliated with the WEA. In the 1970s and 1980s the WCC ran an extensive anti-drought programme in Burkina Faso and other Sahel countries, with an office based in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.