Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960, but the country spent many of its post-independence years under military rule with repeated coups during the 1970s and 1980s. The current president, Blaise Compaore, came to power in a 1987 military coup and has since won every election since, although he has instituted a multiparty system. A landlocked country in Western Africa, Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, with cotton as the most important crop. With a population of more than 15 million, limited natural resources and recurring droughts have hindered economic development.