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Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso[a] is a landlocked country in West Africa. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,878 sq mi),[5] bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. As of 2021, the country had an estimated population of 23,674,480.[12] Previously called Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984), it was renamed Burkina Faso by President Thomas Sankara. Its citizens are known as Burkinabè,[b] and its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou.

Burkina Faso
Burkĩna Faso (Mossi)
𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮 (Fula)
ߓߎߙߞߌߣߊ ߝߊߛߏ (Dyula)

Mooré, Bissa, Dyula, Fula

English, French

  • Burkinabè
  • Burkinese

11 December 1958

5 August 1960

3 January 1966

28 October – 3 November 2014

23–24 January 2022

30 September 2022

274,223[5] km2 (105,878 sq mi) (74th)

0.146%

22,489,126[5] (60th)

64/km2 (165.8/sq mi)

2023 estimate

Increase $62.788 billion[6] (114th)

Increase $2,682[6] (171st)

2023 estimate

Increase $20.785 billion[6] (124th)

Increase $888[6] (180th)

Steady 38.9[7]
medium

Decrease 0.449[8]
low (184th)

dd/mm/yyyy

right

The largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso is the Mossi people, who settled the area in the 11th and 13th centuries. They established powerful kingdoms such as the Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo, and Yatenga. In 1896, it was colonized by the French as part of French West Africa; in 1958, Upper Volta became a self-governing colony within the French Community. In 1960, it gained full independence with Maurice Yaméogo as president. Since it gained its independence, the country has been subject to instability, droughts, famines and corruption. There have also been various coups, in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, and twice in 2022 (January and September). There were also unsuccessful coup attempts in 1989, 2015, and 2023.


Thomas Sankara came to power following a successful coup in 1983. As president, Sankara embarked on a series of ambitious socioeconomic reforms which included a nationwide literacy campaign, land redistribution to peasants, vaccinations for over 2 million children, railway and road construction, equalized access to education, and the outlawing of female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and polygamy. He served as the country's president until 1987 when he was deposed and assassinated in a coup led by Blaise Compaoré, who became president and ruled the country until his removal on 31 October 2014.


Burkina Faso has been severely affected by the rise of Islamist terrorism in the Sahel since the mid-2010s. Several militias, partly allied with the Islamic State (IS) or al-Qaeda, operate in Burkina Faso and across the border in Mali and Niger. More than one million of the country's 21 million inhabitants are internally displaced persons. Burkina Faso's military seized power in a coup d'état on 23–24 January 2022, overthrowing President Roch Marc Kaboré. On 31 January, the military junta restored the constitution and appointed Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba as interim president, but he was himself overthrown in a second coup on 30 September and replaced by military captain Ibrahim Traoré.[13]


Burkina Faso is one of the least developed countries in the world, with a GDP of $16.226 billion. Approximately 63.8 percent of its population practices Islam, while 26.3 percent practice Christianity.[10] The country's official language of government and business was formerly French; its status was relegated by a constitutional amendment ratified in January 2024, turning French into a "working language" of the country, alongside English.[14][15] There are 60 indigenous languages officially recognized by the Burkinabè government, with the most common language, Mooré, spoken by over half the population.[16][17] The country has a strong culture and is geographically biodiverse, with plentiful reserves of gold, manganese, copper and limestone. Burkinabè art has a rich and long history, and is globally renowned for its orthodox style.[18] The country is governed as a semi-presidential republic with executive, legislative and judicial powers. Burkina Faso is a member of the United Nations, La Francophonie and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. It is currently suspended from ECOWAS and the African Union.

Etymology[edit]

Formerly the Republic of Upper Volta, the country was renamed "Burkina Faso" on 4 August 1984 by then-President Thomas Sankara. The words "Burkina" and "Faso" stem from different languages spoken in the country: "Burkina" comes from Mooré and means "upright", showing how the people are proud of their integrity, while "Faso" comes from the Dioula language (as written in N'Ko: ߝߊ߬ߛߏ߫ faso) and means "fatherland" (literally, "father's house"). The "-bè" suffix added onto "Burkina" to form the demonym "Burkinabè" comes from the Fula language and means "women or men".[19] The CIA summarizes the etymology as "land of the honest (incorruptible) men".[20]


The French colony of Upper Volta was named for its location on the upper courses of the Volta River (the Black, Red and White Volta).[21]

The in the east which passes Burkina Faso, Benin, and Niger

W National Park

The Arly Wildlife Reserve ( in the east)

Arly National Park

The Léraba-Comoé Classified Forest and Partial Reserve of Wildlife in the west

The in the west

Mare aux Hippopotames

Index of Burkina Faso-related articles

Outline of Burkina Faso

2023 in Burkina Faso

Rupley, Lawrence; Bangali, Lamissa & Diamitani, Boureima (2013). Historical Dictionary of Burkina Faso. The Scarecrow Press.  978-0-8108-6770-3.

ISBN

official government portal. (in French) (archived 15 September 2010)

Premier Ministère

a news information site (archived 7 May 2008)

LeFaso.net

from UCB Libraries GovPubs (archived 21 August 2008)

Burkina Faso

at Curlie

Burkina Faso

from the BBC News.

Burkina Faso profile

Wikimedia Atlas of Burkina Faso

from AllAfrica.com.

News headline links

(archived 26 May 2012)

Overseas Development Institute

at New Internationalist.

Country profile

from International Futures.

Key Development Forecasts for Burkina Faso

from Bizpages

Burkina Faso Business Facts