18 Facts About Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked West African country that borders Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and the Ivory Coast to the southwest.

The population of Burkina Faso is 22,127,000 people (2022 est.).

Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso. It literally means "You are welcome here at home with us," and is written as "Wogodogo" in the Moré dialect.

Burkina Faso is located in southern Africa, south of the Sahara Desert.

Burkina Faso was formerly known as Upper Volta before adopting its current name on August 5, 1960, when it gained independence from France.

Burkina Faso's official language is French, as it was colonised by France. Moré, Gourma, Fulfulde, Dioula, and Tamasheq are among the other languages spoken.

The Mossi are Burkina Faso's largest ethnic group.

Burkina Faso's main export is gold, followed by cotton and animal products.

Burkina Faso is Africa's largest cotton producer.

In Burkina Faso, most foods are served with sauce. Sorghum, millet, rice, maize, peanuts, potatoes, beans, yams, and okra are staple foods.

Subsistence agriculture supports approximately 80% of the population.

Soccer, handball, cycling, basketball, and boxing are popular sports in Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso is home to 60 different ethnic groups, each with their own variety of folk music.

Burkina Faso is a leader in African art and culture and hosts the largest craft market in Africa.

The Bobo, one of the ethnic groups in Burkina Faso make large butterfly masks, painted in stripes of red, white and black which are used to invoke the deity Do in fertility ceremonies. The Mossi are known for their antelope masks. 

Burkina Faso is prone to severe droughts. Burkina Faso suffered droughts in the early 1970s and the early 1980s.

Monday through Saturday is the school week. In theory, education is free and compulsory until the age of 16. UNICEF reports that only 81% of students complete the fifth grade.

The University of Ouagadougou, founded in 1974, was the country's first higher education institution. Bobo-Diolasso Polytechnic University was founded in 1995. The former "Ecole Normal Superieur de Koudougou" was replaced by the University of Koudougou in 2005.