Burkina Faso Total Projects: 3
Project Spending: $11,658

The land that comprises present day Burkina Faso has hosted several chiefdoms over the last 1000 years with the Mossi Kingdoms being the most prominent of these. During the Scramble for Africa, the region was eventually annexed by France following a decade of fierce local resistance and the area remained under French control until 1960. Political stability remained elusive, however, and a series of coup d'états saw the country's leadership change hands several times in the five decades following independence. A military junta came to power in 2015 but was forced out by the end of that year, returning the country to civilian rule. The lack of government stability has greatly undermined investment in Burkina Faso's development and the nation is among the least developed in the entire world. The country's economy is based chiefly on agriculture which employs 80% of the population. However, the country is also home to valuable metal deposits, namely gold and manganese.