Geography and Basic Information
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country located in West Africa. It is 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. The country covers an area of 274,223 km² (105,878 sq mi).
The capital and largest city is Ouagadougou. In 2024, Burkina Faso had an estimated population of approximately 23,286,000. Citizens of the country are known as Burkinabes.
Name and Etymology
After gaining independence, the country was called the Republic of Upper Volta from 1958 to 1984. On August 4, 1984, then-President Thomas Sankara renamed the country to Burkina Faso.
The name combines words from multiple languages spoken in the country. "Burkina" comes from Mooré and means "upright," reflecting the people's pride in their integrity. "Faso" comes from the Dyula language and means "fatherland" or literally "father's house." The suffix "-bé," added to form the demonym "Burkinabé," comes from the Fula language and means "women or men."
Early History
The northwestern part of present-day Burkina Faso was populated by hunter-gatherers from 14,000 BC to 5,000 BC. Archaeological excavations conducted in 1973 revealed tools including scrapers, chisels, and arrowheads. Agricultural settlements were established between 3600 and 2600 BC.
From the 3rd to the 13th centuries AD, the Iron Age Bura culture existed in the territory of present-day southeastern Burkina Faso and southwestern Niger. The oldest evidence of iron smelting found in Burkina Faso dates from 800 to 700 BC and forms part of the Ancient Ferrous Metallurgy World Heritage Site.
The Mossi People and Medieval Kingdoms
The largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso is the Mossi people, who arrived in the area and settled between the 8th and 11th centuries. They accepted Islam as their religion in the 11th century and established several separate kingdoms, including Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo, Yatenga, and Zandoma.
Various other ethnic groups arrived in successive waves. The Samo arrived around the 15th century, while the Dogon lived in Burkina Faso's north and northwest regions until sometime in the 15th or 16th centuries. During the Middle Ages, Mossi warriors raided Timbuktu, though they were defeated by Sonni Ali of Songhai at the Battle of Kobi in Mali in 1483.
Colonial Period
Starting in the early 1890s during the European Scramble for Africa, the territory of present-day Burkina Faso was invaded by France, becoming a French protectorate in 1896. By 1898, the majority of the territory was nominally conquered, and the Franco-British Convention of June 14, 1898 created the country's modern borders.
French Upper Volta was officially established on March 1, 1919. The colony was named Haute Volta for its location on the upper courses of the Volta River (the Black, Red and White Volta). However, the colony was dismantled on September 5, 1932, and divided between the French colonies of Ivory Coast, French Sudan, and Niger.
Independence and Modern History
In 1958, Upper Volta became a self-governing colony within the French Community. The country gained full independence in 1960 with Maurice Yaméogo as president.
Since independence, Burkina Faso has experienced significant political instability, including multiple coups in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, and twice in 2022 (in January and September). There were also unsuccessful coup attempts in 1989, 2015, and 2023. The country has also contended with droughts, famines, and corruption.
Economy and Development
Burkina Faso remains one of the least developed countries in the world, with a GDP of $16.226 billion in 2022. The country's territory is geographically biodiverse and includes plentiful reserves of gold, manganese, copper, and limestone.
Religion and Language
Approximately 63.8% of Burkina Faso's population practices Islam, while 26.3% practices Christianity and 9% practices animistic religions, especially in the southwest.
The country's official languages include Mooré, Dyula, and Fula, with Mooré being spoken by over half the population. There are more than 60 indigenous languages in the country. French was the former government and business language until January 2024, when its status was demoted to that of a "working language" alongside English by ratification of a constitutional amendment.
Culture and Government
Due to its multicultural composition, Burkinabè art has a rich and long history and is globally renowned for its orthodox style.
The country is governed as a semi-presidential republic with executive, legislative, and judicial powers. Burkina Faso is a member of the United Nations and La Francophonie. On January 18, 2024, the country announced its exit from ECOWAS and was suspended from the African Union after helping to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).