Geography of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) is a landlocked Sahel country that shares borders with six nations. It lies between the Sahara desert and the Gulf of Guinea, south of the loop of the Niger River, mostly between latitudes 9° and 15°N (a small area is north of 15°), and longitudes 6°W and 3°E. The land is green in the south, with forests and fruit trees, and desert in the north. Most of central Burkina Faso lies on a savanna plateau, above sea level, with fields, brush, and scattered trees. Burkina Faso's game preserves—the most important of which are Arly, Nazinga, and W National Park—contain lions, elephants, hippopotamus, monkeys, common warthogs, and antelopes. Previously the endangered painted hunting dog, "Lycaon pictus" occurred in Burkina Faso, but, although the last sightings were made in Arli National Park, the species is considered extirpated from Burkina Faso. Tourism is not well developed.
Diébédo Francis Kéré
The village of Gando is located south east of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital. The 3000 inhabitants live in small mud huts with tin or straw roofs. The huts are gathered in small groups forming communities. The village has no access to running water or electricity, and the literacy rate remains below the national average of 25%. According to the UN Human Development Index in 2011, Burkina Faso is the 7th least developed country in the world. Lack of education, low income and life expectancy hold back the country's development, and most people are subsistence farmers, remaining dependent on the harsh climate. There is virtually no rain between October and June, and daytime temperatures can easily reach 45 °C.