Where is Burkina Faso?
African art
Burkina Faso is a small, landlocked country north of Ghana and south of Mali and Niger. Economically, it is one of the four or five poorest countries in the world. Culturally, it is extremely rich. In part this is because so few people from Burkina have become Muslim or Christian. Many of the ancient artistic traditions for which Africa is so well known have been preserved in Burkina Faso because so many people continue to honor the ancestral spirits, and the spirits of nature. In great part they honor the spirits through the use of masks and carved figures. Many of the countries to the north of Burkina Faso had become predominantly Muslim, while many of the countries to the south of Burkina Faso are heavily Christian. In contrast many of the people of Burkina Faso continue to offer prayers and sacrifices to the spirits of nature and to the spirits of their ancestors. The result is that they continue to use the sorts of art that we see in museums in Europe and America.
Radio Télévision du Burkina
The Radio Télévision du Burkina is the national broadcaster of the West African state of Burkina Faso. Radio Télévision du Burkina is headquartered in the capital city Ouagadougou.
Centre-Sud Region
Most of Burkino Faso is a wide plateau formed by riverine systems and is called falaise de Banfora. There are three major rivers, the Red Volta, Black Volta and White Volta, which cuts through different valleys. The climate is generally hot, with unreliable rains across different seasons. Gold and quartz are common minerals found across the country, while manganese deposits are also common. The dry season is usually from October to May and rains are common during the wet season from June to September. The soil texture is porous and hence the yield is also poor. The average elevation is around to above mean sea level. Among West African countries, Burkino Faso has the largest elephant population and the country is replete with game reserves. The southern regions are more tropical in nature and have Savannah and forests. The principal river is the Black Volta, that originates in the southern region and drains into Ghana. The areas near the rivers usually have flies like tsetse and similium, which are carriers of sleep sickness and river blindness. The average rainfall in the region is around compared to northern regions that receive only rainfall.
Burkina Faso–Sweden relations
Sweden accredited its first ambassador to Burkina Faso, then known as the Republic of Upper Volta, in 1969. The ambassador was initially stationed in Lagos, Nigeria.
Languages of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a multilingual country. An estimated 70 languages are spoken there, of which about 66 are indigenous. The Mossi language () is spoken by about 40% of the population, mainly in the central region around the capital, Ouagadougou. French is the official language. English is very rarely spoken.
L’Université du Faso
L’Université du Faso is a private, for-profit university in Ziniaré, 50km from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. It also has a campus in Ouagadougou.
Bittou
Bittou is a town and seat of the Bittou Department of Boulgou Province in south-eastern Burkina Faso. The town is a stop on the caravan trading route. Today the town is located along the N16 Road which links Burkina Faso with Northern Togo and Ghana (via Togo). In 1898 the French Colonial Army built a fort here to keep the British Colonial Army from capturing the area. As of 2005, the town has a population of 15,459.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a multilingual country. An estimated 69 languages are spoken there, of which about 60 languages are indigenous. The Mossi language () is spoken by about 40% of the population, mainly in the central region around the capital, Ouagadougou, along with other, closely related Gurunsi languages scattered throughout Burkina.
Boucle du Mouhoun Region
Most of Burkino Faso is a wide plateau formed by riverine systems and is called falaise de Banfora. There are three major rivers, the Red Volta, Black Volta and White Volta, which cuts through different valleys. The climate is generally hot, with unreliable rains across different seasons. Gold and quartz are common minerals found across the country, while manganese deposits are also common. The dry season is usually from October to May and rains are common during the wet season from June to September. The soil texture is porous and hence the yield is also poor. The average elevation is around to above mean sea level. Among West African countries, Burkino Faso has the largest elephant population and the country is replete with game reserves. The southern regions are more tropical in nature and have Savannah and forests. The principal river is the Black Volta, that originates in the southern region and drains into Ghana. The areas near the rivers usually have flies like tsetse and similium, which are carriers of sleep sickness and river blindness. The average rainfall in the region is around compared to northern regions that receive only rainfall.
Centre-Ouest Region
The main road connecting the national capital, Ouagadougou, and Burkina Faso's second largest city Bobo-Dioulasso traverses the province (east to west). Burkina Faso's only railway connects the region's largest city, Koudougou with Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso and Ivory Coast. There is no commercial airport in the province but Ouagadougou International Airport is approximately 141 km southeast of Koudougou and as of June 2014 the airport had regularly scheduled flights to most major cities in West Africa as well as Paris, Brussels and Istanbul. As of 2007, there were of highways, of regional roads and of county roads. The first set of car traffic was 38, first set of two-wheeler traffic was 3,166 and the total classified road network was 1,545.
The total corn produced during 2015 was 121,780 tonnes, cotton was 27,059 tonnes, cowpea was 49,972 tonnes, ground nut was 43,284 tonnes, millet was 72,426 tonnes, rice was 16,215 tonnes and sorghum was 260,885 tonnes. The coverage of cereal need compared to the total production of the region was 135.00 per cent.
Burkina Faso national football team
The Burkina Faso national football team, is the national team of Burkina Faso and is controlled by the Burkinabé Football Federation. They were known as the Upper Volta national football team until 1984, when Upper Volta became Burkina Faso. They finished fourth in the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations, when they hosted the tournament. Their best ever finish in the tournament was the 2013 edition, reaching the final.
Burkina Faso
The Republic of Upper Volta () was established on 11 December 1958 as a self-governing colony within the French Community. The name "Upper Volta" related to the nation's location along the upper reaches of the Volta River. The river's three tributaries are called the Black, White and Red Volta. These were expressed in the three colors of the former national flag.
Burkina Faso
The 2018 CIA World Factbook provides this summary of the issues facing Burkina Faso. "The country experienced terrorist attacks in its capital in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and continues to mobilize resources to counter terrorist threats". In 2018, several governments were warning their citizens not to travel into the northern part of the country and into several provinces in the East Region. The CIA report also states that "Burkina Faso's high population growth, recurring drought, pervasive and perennial food insecurity, and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens". The report is optimistic in some aspects, particularly concerning activities being done with assistance by the International Monetary Fund. "A new three-year IMF program (2018–2020), approved in 2018, will allow the government to reduce the budget deficit and preserve critical spending on social services and priority public investments".
Islam in Burkina Faso
In 1984, Upper Volta was renamed Burkina Faso. After a succession of military coups, a constitutional republic was established in 1991. In Burkina Faso the Arabist and Islamist movement is viewed a counter-culture to the European style of modernity, and also a way of integrating the disparate ethnic groups which make up the Muslim population of the country. Madrasa education, which began just after World War II, now serves half of the Muslim population, though only tiny minorities reach the secondary level. Islam is also strengthened by the construction of mosques, preaching on national television, official recognition of Muslim festivals, and support from the Arab world. Madrasa education appeals to the lower middle classes, excluded from political power, who favor a state based on sharia. The Islamic movements, however, are divided into numerous factions.
Culture of Burkina Faso
The culture of Burkina Faso in West Africa is also called the Burkinabé culture.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso has a larger number of elephants than many countries in West Africa. Lions, leopards and buffalo can also be found here, including the dwarf or red buffalo, a smaller reddish-brown animal which looks like a fierce kind of short-legged cow. Other large predators live in Burkina Faso, such as the cheetah, the caracal or African lynx, the spotted hyena and the African wild dog, one of the continent's most endangered species.
Science and technology in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is striving to achieve middle income status by 2030. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita has risen steadily over the past decade to $1,720.1 (in purchasing power parity dollars) in 2016, according to the World Bank, thanks to consistently strong economic growth that peaked at over 8% in 2010. After slowing to 4% per year in 2014, the economy is expected to return to an annual growth rate of more than 6% in the coming years.[http://data.worldbank.org/country/burkina-faso [1]]
Science and technology in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a member of both the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
Economy of Burkina Faso
Industry, still in an embryonic stage, is located primarily in Bobo-Dioulasso, Ouagadougou, Banfora, and Koudougou. Manufacturing is limited to food processing, textiles, and other import substitution heavily protected by tariffs. Some factories are privately owned, and others are set to be privatized. Burkina Faso's exploitable natural resources are limited, although a manganese ore deposit is located in the remote northeast. Gold mining has increased greatly since the mid-1980s and, along with cotton, is a leading export moneyearner. However, both gold and cotton are listed as goods produced mostly by child labor and forced labor according to a recent U.S. Department of Labor report.
Nord Region (Burkina Faso)
Most of Burkino Faso is a wide plateau formed by riverine systems and is called falaise de Banfora. There are three major rivers, the Red Volta, Black Volta and White Volta, which cuts through different valleys. The climate is generally hot, with unreliable rains across different seasons. Gold and quartz are common minerals found across the country, while manganese deposits are also common. The dry season is usually from October to May and rains are common during the wet season from June to September. The soil texture is porous and hence the yield is also poor. The average elevation is around to above mean sea level. Among West African countries, Burkino Faso has the largest elephant population and the country is replete with game reserves. The northern regions are generally arid and usually have scrub land and semi-deserts. The principal river is the Red Volta, that originates in the northern region and drains into Ghana. The areas near the rivers usually have flies like tsetse and similium, which are carriers of sleep sickness and river blindness. The average rainfall in the region is around compared to southern regions that receive only rainfall.
Religion in Burkina Faso
Muslims reside largely around the northern, eastern, and western borders, while Christians live in the center of the country. People practice traditional indigenous religious beliefs throughout the country, especially in rural communities. Ouagadougou, the capital, has a mixed Muslim and Christian population; however, Bobo-Dioulasso, the country's second largest city, is mostly Muslim. Small Syrian and Lebanese immigrant communities reside in the 2 largest cities and are overwhelmingly (more than 90 percent) Christian.
Burkina Faso
During the early 16th century the Songhai conducted many slave raids into what is today Burkina Faso. During the 18th century the Gwiriko Empire was established at Bobo Dioulasso and ethnic groups such as the Dyan, Lobi, and Birifor settled along the Black Volta.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is part of the West African Monetary and Economic Union (UMEOA) and has adopted the CFA franc. This is issued by the Central Bank of the West African States (BCEAO), situated in Dakar, Senegal. The BCEAO manages the monetary and reserve policy of the member states, and provides regulation and oversight of financial sector and banking activity. A legal framework regarding licensing, bank activities, organizational and capital requirements, inspections and sanctions (all applicable to all countries of the Union) is in place, having been reformed significantly in 1999. Microfinance institutions are governed by a separate law, which regulates microfinance activities in all WAEMU countries. The insurance sector is regulated through the Inter-African Conference on Insurance Markets (CIMA).
Sport in Burkina Faso
Rugby union, or just rugby, in Burkina Faso is relatively new, but growing more popular every year. Rugby was introduced by the French, who had ruled Burkina Faso, or Upper Volta, as it was known at the time, for many years. Rugby in Burkina Faso is, like many other nations in Africa, centered around the capital, Ouagadougou.
Burkina Faso
Starting in the early 1890s a series of British, French and German military officers made attempts to claim parts of what is today Burkina Faso. At times these colonialists and their armies fought the local peoples; at times they forged alliances with them and made treaties. The colonialist officers and their home governments also made treaties amongst themselves. Through a complex series of events what is Burkina Faso eventually became a French protectorate in 1896.
Demographics of Burkina Faso
Few Burkinabé have had formal education. Schooling is free but not compulsory, and only about 29% of Burkina's primary school-age children receive a basic education. The University of Ouagadougou, founded in 1974, was the country's first institution of higher education. The Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso in Bobo-Dioulasso was opened in 1995.
According to the total population was in , compared to only 4,284,000 in 1950. The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2010 was 45.3%, 52.4% was between 15 and 65 years of age, while 2.2% was 65 years or older
Centre-Nord Region
Burkina Faso gained independence from France in 1960. It was originally called Upper Volta. There have been military coups until 1983 when Captain Thomas Sankara took control and implemented radical left wing policies. He was outsed by Blaise Compaore, who continued for 27 years until 2014, when a popular uprising ended his rule. As per Law No.40/98/AN in 1998, Burkina Faso adhered to decentralization to provide administrative and financial autonomy to local communities. There are 13 administrative regions, each governed by a Governor. The regions are subdivided into 45 provinces, which are further subdivided into 351 communes. The communes may be urban or rural and are interchangeable. There are other administrative entities like department and village. An urban commune has typically 10,000 people under it. If any commune is not able to get 75 per cent of its planned budget in revenues for 3 years, the autonomy is taken off. The communes are administered by elected Mayors. The communes are stipulated to develop economic, social and cultural values of its citizens. A commune has financial autonomy and can interact with other communes, government agencies or international entities.
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.
Wildlife of Burkina Faso
As of 2006, Burkina Faso is considered to be one of the West African countries with the largest faunal population.
Outline of Burkina Faso
History of Burkina Faso
Wildlife of Burkina Faso
Wildlife area in the landlocked Burkina Faso in western Africa is spread over a plateau area of . The dominant habitat types are the grassy savanna in the north with transition to the varying thin forests in the south.
Art of Burkina Faso
The Bwa people live in central Burkina Faso. in years past they have been associated erroneously with the Bobo. In fact they are not related to the Bobo and all, and their languages and culture are quite different. The Bwa people speak a language in the voltaic family of languages, while the Bobo speak a language in the Mande family. The confusion was caused in the past by the inability of the French to distinguish between the two people through their Jula interpreters.
Burkina Faso
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Bobo people
The Bobo are an ethnic group living primarily in Burkina Faso, with some living north in Mali. Bobo is also a shortened name of the second-largest city in Burkina Faso, Bobo-Dioulasso.
Mossi people
The Mossi people originated in Burkina Faso, although significant numbers of Mossi live in neighboring countries, including Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Togo. In 1996, the estimated population of Burkina Faso was 10,623,323. Five to six million are probably Mossi; another 1.2 million Mossi live in Côte d'Ivoire.
Centre Region, Burkina Faso
Most of Burkino Faso is a wide plateau formed by riverine systems and is called falaise de Banfora. There are three major rivers, the Red Volta, Black Volta and White Volta, which cuts through different valleys. The climate is generally hot, with unreliable rains across different seasons. Gold and quartz are common minerals found across the country, while manganese deposits are also common. The dry season is usually from October to May and rains are common during the wet season from June to September. The soil texture is porous and hence the yield is also poor. The average elevation is around to above mean sea level. Among West African countries, Burkino Faso has the largest elephant population and the country is replete with game reserves. The northern regions are generally arid and usually have scrub land and semi-deserts. The principal river is the Red Volta, that originates in the northern region and drains into Ghana. The areas near the rivers usually have flies like tsetse and similium, which are carriers of sleep sickness and river blindness. The average rainfall in the region is around compared to southern regions that receive only rainfall.
Diapaga
Diapaga is a city in and the capital of Tapoa Province in Burkina Faso. The main ethnic group in the city are the Gourmantché. The park headquarters for Burkina Faso are located in the town.
Transport in Burkina Faso
Transport in Burkina Faso consists primarily of road, air and rail transportation. The World Bank classified country's transportation as underdeveloped but noted that Burkina Faso is a natural geographic transportation hub for West Africa.
Burkina Faso–Sweden relations
Burkina Faso–Sweden relations refers to the current and historical relationship between Sweden and Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has a non resident ambassador located in Copenhagen, Denmark and an honorary consulate in Uppsala.
Burkina Faso
The nation's principal media outlet is its state-sponsored combined television and radio service, "Radiodiffusion-Télévision Burkina" (RTB). "RTB" broadcasts on two medium-wave (AM) and several FM frequencies. Besides RTB, there are privately owned sports, cultural, music, and religious FM radio stations. "RTB" maintains a worldwide short-wave news broadcast ("Radio Nationale Burkina") in the French language from the capital at Ouagadougou using a 100 kW transmitter on 4.815 and 5.030 MHz.
Namoukouka
Namoukouka is located 200 km east of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. It covers an area of about 8 km².
Burkina Faso
Formerly called 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" both stem from different languages spoken in the country: "Burkina" comes from Mossi and means "upright", showing how the people are proud of their integrity, while "Faso" comes from the Dyula language and means "fatherland" (lit. "father's house"). The "bè" suffix added onto "Burkina" to form the demonym "Burkinabè" comes from the Fula language and means "men or women". The CIA summarizes the etymology as "name translates as "Land of the Honest (Incorruptible) Men".
Ethnic groups in Burkina Faso
There are numerous ethnic groups in Burkina Faso. The most predominant group are the Mossi, about 40% of the population. They are mainly farmers and live in the central portions of the country.
Burkina Faso
Historians began to debate about the exact dates when Burkina Faso's many ethnic groups arrived to the area. The Proto-Mossi arrived in the far Eastern part of what is today Burkina Faso sometime between the 8th and 11th centuries, the Samo arrived around the 15th century, the Dogon lived in Burkina Faso's north and northwest regions until sometime in the 15th or 16th centuries, and many of the other ethnic groups that make up the country's population arrived in the region during this time.
Burkina Faso
It is made up of two major types of countryside. The larger part of the country is covered by a peneplain, which forms a gently undulating landscape with, in some areas, a few isolated hills, the last vestiges of a Precambrian massif. The southwest of the country, on the other hand, forms a sandstone massif, where the highest peak, Ténakourou, is found at an elevation of . The massif is bordered by sheer cliffs up to high. The average altitude of Burkina Faso is and the difference between the highest and lowest terrain is no greater than . Burkina Faso is therefore a relatively flat country.
Burkina Faso
As of June 2014 the main international airport, Ouagadougou Airport, had regularly scheduled flights to many destinations in West Africa as well as Paris, Brussels and Istanbul. The other international airport, Bobo Dioulasso Airport, has flights to Ouagadougou and Abidjan.
History of Burkina Faso
From medieval times until the end of the 19th century, the region of Burkina Faso was ruled by the empire-building Mossi people, who are believed to have come up to their present location from northern Ghana, where the ethnically-related Dagomba people still live. For several centuries, Mossi peasants were both farmers and soldiers. During this time the Mossi Kingdoms successfully defended their territory, religious beliefs and social structure against forcible attempts at conquest and conversion by their Muslim neighbors to the northwest.
Cascades Region
Burkina Faso gained independence from France in 1960. It was originally called Upper Volta. There have been military coups till 1983 when Captain Thomas Sankara took control and implemented radical left wing policies. He was outsed by Blaise Compaore, who continued for 27 years till 2014, when a popular uprising ended his rule. As per Law No.40/98/AN in 1998, Burkina Faso adhered to decentralization to provide administrative and financial autonomy to local communities. There are 13 administrative regions, each governed by a Governor. The regions are subdivided into 45 provinces, which are further subdivided into 351 communes. The communes may be urban or rural and are interchangeable. There are other administrative entities like department and village. An urban commune has typically 10,000 people under it. If any commune is not able to get 75 per cent of its planned budget in revenues for 3 years, the autonomy is taken off. The communes are administered by elected Mayors. The communes are stipulated to develop economic, social and cultural values of its citizens. A commune has financial autonomy and can interact with other communes, government agencies or international entities.
Geography of Burkina Faso
The country is divided into 13 administrative regions. These regions encompass 45 provinces and 351 departments.
Religion in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is religiously diverse society with Islam being the dominant religion. According to recent census (2006) conducted by Government of Burkina Faso, 60.5% of the population adheres to Islam. The vast majority of Muslims in Burkina Faso are Malikite Sunni, deeply influenced with Sufism. The Shi'a branch of Islam also has small presence in the country. A significant number of Sunni Muslims identify with the Tijaniyah Sufi order. The Government also estimated that 23.2% practices Christianity (19.0% being Roman Catholic, 4.2% being Protestant), 15.3% follow Animism i.e., African Traditional Religion, 0.6% have other religions and 0.4% have none.
Burkina Faso–Libya relations
Burkina Faso–Libya relations refers to the current and historical relationship between State of Libya and the Republic of Burkina Faso. Libya maintains an embassy in the Burkinabé capital of Ouagadougou, and Burkina Faso one in the Libyan capital of Tripoli.
Yako, Burkina Faso
Yako is a town in northern Burkina Faso, the capital of Passoré Province. It lies north-west of Ouagadougou. Yako is known for its large mosque and as the birthplace of former President Thomas Sankara.
Embassy of Burkina Faso in Washington, D.C.
The Embassy of Burkina Faso in Washington, D.C. is the diplomatic mission of Burkina Faso to the United States. 
It is located at 2340 Massachusetts Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C., in the Embassy Row neighborhood.
Trade unions in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked African country located in the middle of West Africa. It has a population of 13.9 million people.
List of companies of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso, also known by its short-form name Burkina, is a landlocked country in West Africa around in size. Burkina Faso is part of the West African Monetary and Economic Union (UMEOA) and has thus adopted the CFA Franc, which is issued by the Central Bank of the West African States (BCEAO), situated in Dakar, Senegal. There is mining of copper, iron, manganese, gold, cassiterite (tin ore), and phosphates.
National Culture Week of Burkina Faso
National Culture Week was established to promote Burkinabé culture in Burkina Faso. It was created in 1983 to alternate with FESPACO which is a biennial African film festival organized in Burkina Faso. The thirteenth edition took place in May 2006.
Koudougou
Koudougou is a city in Burkina Faso's Boulkiemdé Province. It is located west of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. With 131,825 inhabitants, as of 2006, it is the third largest city by population in Burkina Faso after Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso and is mainly inhabited by the Gurunsi and Mossi ethnic groups. Koudougou is situated on the only railway line in Burkina Faso and has some small industries, a market, a university and provincial government offices.
Prostitution in Burkina Faso
Prostitution in Burkina Faso is not specifically prohibited by the law, but soliciting and pimping are illegal. Burkinabe society only accepts sexual intercourse within marriage. In 2009, Voice of America reported that the number of prostitutes in Burkina Faso had increased as a result of the country's poverty. The increase in prostitution has given rise to fears of an increase in the number of Burkinabés infected with HIV and AIDS. UNAIDS estimate there to be 31,000 prostitutes in the country.
Centre-Est Region
Burkina Faso gained independence from France in 1960. It was originally called Upper Volta. There have been military coups until 1983 when Captain Thomas Sankara took control and implemented radical left wing policies. He was outsed by Blaise Compaore, who continued for 27 years until 2014, when a popular uprising ended his rule. As per Law No.40/98/AN in 1998, Burkina Faso adhered to decentralization to provide administrative and financial autonomy to local communities. There are 13 administrative regions, each governed by a Governor. The regions are subdivided into 45 provinces, which are further subdivided into 351 communes. The communes may be urban or rural and are interchangeable. There are other administrative entities like department and village. An urban commune has typically 10,000 people under it. If any commune is not able to get 75 per cent of its planned budget in revenues for 3 years, the autonomy is taken off. The communes are administered by elected Mayors. The communes are stipulated to develop economic, social and cultural values of its citizens. A commune has financial autonomy and can interact with other communes, government agencies or international entities.
Geography of Burkina Faso
This is a list of the extreme points of Burkina Faso, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.It is made up of two major types of countryside. The larger part of the country is covered by a peneplain, which forms a gently undulating landscape with, in some areas, a few isolated hills, the last vestiges of a Precambrian massif. The southwest of the country, on the other hand, forms a sandstone massif, where the highest peak, Ténakourou, is found at an elevation of . The massif is bordered by sheer cliffs up to high. The average altitude of Burkina Faso is and the difference between the highest and lowest terrain is no greater than . Burkina Faso is therefore a relatively flat country. Its elevation extremes are a lowest point at the Mouhoun (Black Volta) River (200 m) and highest point at Tena Kourou (749 m).
Tourism in Burkina Faso
According to the Government of Burkina Faso, 433,778 tourists visited the country in 2011.
Sites of interest to tourists in Ouagadougou include: the Park of Bangr Weogo, the National museum of Ouagadougou, the International Art & Craft Fair, and the Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou.
Burkina Faso
and several reserves: see List of national parks in Africa and Nature reserves of Burkina Faso.
Health in Burkina Faso
In 2016, the average life expectancy in Burkina Faso was estimated at 60 for males and 61 for females which gives it a world life expectancy ranking of 166. 
In 2016, Burkina Faso had 3400 (2200 - 5000) new HIV infections and 3100 (2000 - 4500) AIDS-related deaths. There were 95 000 (77 000 - 120 000) people living with HIV in 2016, among whom 60% (49% - 74%) were accessing anti retroviral therapy. Among pregnant women living with HIV, 83% (65% - >95%) were accessing treatment or prophylaxis to prevent transmission of HIV to their children. An estimated <1000 (<500 - <1000) children were newly infected with HIV due to mother-to-child transmission. The key populations most affected by HIV in Burkina Faso are sex workers, with an HIV prevalence of 16.2%, gay men and other men who have sex with men, with an HIV prevalence of 3.6% and prisoners, with an HIV prevalence of 3%. 
In Burkina Faso, three out of four girls and women have undergone FGM (Female Genital Mutiliation) . But work to reverse this trend is proving successful: community meetings, peer education and a law banning the practice have helped to reduce the numbers of girls getting cut by 31%.The World Bank approved an $80 million International Development Association (IDA)* grant and $20 million from the Global Financing Facility (GFF) in Support of Every Woman, Every Child, to support the government’s efforts to strengthen health services in Burkina Faso. The Governments of Norway and Burkina Faso, the World Bank Group, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will co-host the GFF replenishment conference slated for November 6, 2018 in Oslo, Norway..
Geography of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso's fauna and flora are protected in two national parks and several reserves: see List of national parks in Africa, Nature reserves of Burkina Faso.
Unified Socialist Party (Burkina Faso)
Unified Socialist Party (in French: "Parti Socialiste Unifié") is a political party in Burkina Faso. PSU was founded in 2001, following a split from the Burkinabè Socialist Party (PSB).
Football in Burkina Faso
Football is the most popular sport in Burkina Faso. And the national association can look back on recent developments with a great deal of pride. Reaching the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations on home soil in 1998, qualifying for the FIFA World Youth Championship in the UAE in 2003, and appearances at two final competitions of the CAF U-17 Cup, as well as third place at the FIFA U-17 World Championship in Trinidad & Tobago in 2001 are Burkina Fasos outstanding achievements at international level. The nations most famous players include Kassoum Ouegraogo, nicknamed Zico, who had his most successful seasons with Espérance de Tunis before ending his career in Germany, Siaka Ouattara, who spent his entire career with Mulhouse in France, and Moumouni Dagano, who was voted best African player in Belgium in 2001, when he played for the Belgian side Genk. He later went on to play for the French side Guingamp before transferring to another French team, FC Sochaux in 2005.
Burkina Faso received an unexpected free pass into the group stage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification process, when their opening round contestant, the Central African Republic, withdrew from the competition. This gave the West Africans, who were at that stage ranked 14th on the continent, the certainty that their name would be in the hat when the Preliminary Draw for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany was made. They got off to a flying start, beating Ghana 1-0 in their opening match and laying down a marker for their Group 2 adversaries South Africa, Cape Verde Islands, Congo DR and Uganda. The victory train began to come off the rails with two defeats to Cape Verde, and with a record of two wins and three losses, Burkina Faso were up against it at the half-way stage. Frenchman Bernard Simondi took over the coaching reins from Ivica Todorov and made the team harder to beat at home, even recording wins over South Africa and Congo DR, but in the end it was not quite enough, and the likes of Abdoulaye Cisse, Moumouni Dagano, and Wilfred Sanou went no further in the competition.
Although football was already practiced at the turn of the century in the British colony of Gold Coast (now Ghana), this sport did not appear until the mid-1930s in the area of today's Burkina Faso. In 1932, the French colony of Upper Volta was divided among the neighboring colonies, so that the two main cities Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso then belonged to the colony of Ivory Coast. Bobo-Dioulasso, as a central commercial city meeting point of cultures and new ideas, was the starting point for the development of football in the country; The teams consisted mainly of French military personnel, missionaries, colonial officials and merchants, workers and employees from the neighboring colonies Gold Coast, Guinea, Senegal or French Sudan (now Mali). Especially the latter group was not only in Bobo-Dioulasso - especially those from French Sudan -, but throughout French-speaking Africa an important factor for the early development of football.
Ablassé Ouedraogo
Ouédrago served first as Minister of Foreign Affairs for Burkina Faso from March 1994 to February 1999, then as Special Advisor to the President of Burkina Faso from February to November 1999. From these positions, he orchestrated the strategic reorientation of the country's foreign policy through the development and implementation of the concept of “development diplomacy.” This approach, on the one hand, enabled the channeling of greater resources toward development and stimulation of the local economy, and, on the other, helped raise the country's profile as a safe haven, solidifying Burkina Faso's place in the community of nations at global, continental and sub-regional levels. This allowed Burkina Faso to gain, among other notable achievements, the Presidency of the Organization of African Unity for the first time in 1998 – 1999. The country also has hosted numerous marquee international events, such as the Summit of Heads of State and Government of Africa and France in December 1996, the African Cup of Nations in February 1998, and the AU Summit of Heads of State and Government in July 1998, as well as other large ministerial conferences of various sectors.
Ouédrago also has been a major player in peace and development efforts throughout Africa, notably contributing to the resolution of the Tuareg rebellion in Niger and Mali, and helping to bring an end to conflicts in Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Burundi, as well as between Ethiopia and Eritrea during a particularly turbulent period.
Burkina Faso
The northwestern part of present-day Burkina Faso was populated by hunter-gatherers from 14000 BC to 5000 BC. Their tools, including scrapers, chisels and arrowheads, were discovered in 1973 through archaeological excavations. Agricultural settlements were established between 3600 and 2600 BC. The Bura culture was an Iron-Age civilization centred in the southwest portion of modern-day Niger and in the southeast part of contemporary Burkina Faso. Iron industry, in smelting and forging for tools and weapons, had developed in Sub-Saharan Africa by 1200 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. Various ethnic groups of present-day Burkina Faso, such as the Mossi, Fula and Dyula, arrived in successive waves between the 8th and 15th centuries. From the 11th century, the Mossi people established several separate kingdoms. In the 1890s, during the European Scramble for Africa, the territory of Burkina Faso was invaded by France, and colonial control was established following a war of conquest between 1896 and 1904. The territory was made part of French West Africa in 1904, and the colony of French Upper Volta was established on 1 March 1919. The colony was named for its location on the upper courses of the Volta River (the Black, Red and White Volta).
List of plants of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. Its natural vegetation mainly consists of savannas, in the South there are also dry forests and gallery forests. The highest diversity of plant species can be found in the humid South-West.
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso has a primarily tropical climate with two very distinct seasons. In the rainy season, the country receives between of rainfall; in the dry season, the harmattan – a hot dry wind from the Sahara – blows. The rainy season lasts approximately four months, May/June through September, and is shorter in the north of the country. Three climatic zones can be defined: the Sahel, the Sudan-Sahel, and the Sudan-Guinea. The Sahel in the north typically receives less than of rainfall per year and has high temperatures, .
Sahel Region
Burkina Faso gained independence from France in 1960. It was originally called Upper Volta. There have been military coups till 1983 when Captain Thomas Sankara took control and implemented radical left wing policies. He was outsed by Blaise Compaore, who continued for 27 years till 2014, when a popular uprising ended his rule. As per Law No.40/98/AN in 1998, Burkina Faso adhered to decentralization to provide administrative and financial autonomy to local communities. There are 13 administrative regions, each governed by a Governor. The regions are subdivided into 45 provinces, which are further subdivided into 351 communes. The communes may be urban or rural and are interchangeable. There are other administrative entities like department and village. An urban commune has typically 10,000 people under it. If any commune is not able to get 75 per cent of its planned budget in revenues for 3 years, the autonomy is taken off. The communes are administered by elected Mayors. The communes are stipulated to develop economic, social and cultural values of its citizens. A commune has financial autonomy and can interact with other communes, government agencies or international entities.
Prostitution in Africa
Prostitution in Burkina Faso is not specifically prohibited by the law, but soliciting and pimping are illegal. Burkinabe society only accepts sexual intercourse within marriage. In 2009, Voice of America reported that the number of prostitutes in Burkina Faso had increased as a result of the country's poverty. The increase in prostitution has given rise to fears of an increase in the number of Burkinabés infected with HIV and AIDS.
African Peer Review Mechanism
Burkina Faso
Hauts-Bassins Region
Most of Burkino Faso is a wide plateau formed by riverine systems and is called falaise de Banfora. There are three major rivers, the Red Volta, Black Volta and White Volta, which cuts through different valleys. The climate is generally hot, with unreliable rains across different seasons. Gold and quartz are common minerals found across the country, while manganese deposits are also common. The dry season is usually from October to May and rains are common during the wet season from June to September. The soil texture is porous and hence the yield is also poor. The average elevation is around to above mean sea level. Among West African countries, Burkino Faso has the largest elephant population and the country is replete with game reserves. The southern regions are more tropical in nature and have Savannah and forests. The principal river is the Black Volta, that originates in the southern region and drains into Ghana. The areas near the rivers usually have flies like tsetse and similium, which are carriers of sleep sickness and river blindness. The average rainfall in the region is around compared to northern regions that receive only rainfall.
Burkina Faso
The National Culture Week of Burkina Faso, better known by its French name La Semaine Nationale de la culture (SNC), is one of the most important cultural activities of Burkina Faso. It is a biennial event which takes place every two years in Bobo Dioulasso, the second-largest city in the country.
Bingo Department
Bingo is a department in the province of Boulkiemdé, west of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. As of 2005, it had a population of 16,541. Bingo is the capital of the department.
Cascades Region
Cascades is one of Burkina Faso's 13 administrative regions. It was created on 2 July 2001. The population of Cascades was 524,956 in 2006. It is the least populous region in Burkina Faso and contains 3.8% of all Burkinabé. The region's capital is Banfora. Two provinces, Comoé and Léraba, make up the region. The Cascades de Karfiguéla give the region its name.
Music of Burkina Faso
Popular traditional groups from Burkina Faso include balafon bands, percussion ensembles and others such as Farafina and Gabin Dabiré, who uses elements of traditional Burkinabé music. Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso's second-largest city, is a cultural centre of Burkina Faso's Mandé people of the southwest.
Health in Burkina Faso
The national health system includes the public, private and traditional medical and pharmacopoeial sub-sectors. In the area of governance, it has made significant progress both organically and functionally.The main achievements are mainly the strengthening of the decentralization of the health system undertaken since 1993 with the establishment of the district health system (63 districts in 2007) and the development of community health. The effective involvement of all actors in the development of the health system, the introduction of emergency care, the subsidization of benefits for the mother and the child, have improved the efficiency and use of health services. Burkina joined the International Partnership for Health and Related Initiatives (IHP +) in May 2010, which aims to increase resources and efforts for health, as well as the effectiveness of aid in the sector. The financing system of the health sector is mainly based on a tripod consisting of the state budget, external inputs (bilateral and multilateral) and cost recovery of health care and services to users (households). The offer of care is organized around public and private structures.The public sub-sector of care with three levels that provide primary, secondary and tertiary care. Approval of modern medicines (specialty and generic), traditional pharmacopoeial drugs, medical consumables and medical biology reagents is assigned to the Drug Regulatory Directorate (DRP). For each Marketing Authorization (MA) application , a related dossier is evaluated by experts. In 2010, Burkina Faso revised its national health policy and developed a National Health Development Plan [2] covering the period 2011 to 2020. Burkina Faso increased its health care workforce between 2006 and 2010, but not sufficiently to meet the population’s growing needs. Burkina Faso suffers from a severe lack of qualified health workers at all levels including support staff. There is less than 1 (0.45) physician per 10,000 people, 3.57 nurses per 10,000 people, and 2.39 midwives per 10,000 (Burkina Faso Ministry of Health, Statistical Yearbook 2010).
Burkina Faso
For many years the headquarters of the Federation of Panafrican Filmmakers (FEPACI) was in Ouagadougou, rescued in 1983 from a period of moribund inactivity by the enthusiastic support and funding of President Sankara. (In 2006 the Secretariat of FEPACI moved to South Africa, but the headquarters of the organization is still in Ouagadougou.) Among the best known directors from Burkina Faso are Gaston Kaboré, Idrissa Ouedraogo and Dani Kouyate. Burkina produces popular television series such as "Les Bobodiouf". The internationally known filmmakers such as Ouedraogo, Kabore, Yameogo, and Kouyate make popular television series.
Regions of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is divided into 13 administrative regions. Each region is administered by a governor.
List of heads of state of Burkina Faso
The current head of state of Burkina Faso is the President of the Republic Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, since 29 December 2015.
Provinces of Burkina Faso
The regions of Burkina Faso are divided into 45 administrative provinces. These 45 provinces are currently sub-divided into 351 departments or communes.
National Archives of Burkina Faso
The National Archives of Burkina Faso are located in Ouagadougou. Since 2010, the Archivistes sans Frontières project has been assisting Burkina Faso in developing the archives.
Burkina Airlines
Burkina Airlines was an airline based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It was established in 2003 and started operations in 2004. It operated services between Burkina Faso and France.
Burkina Faso–Russia relations
Burkina Faso–Russia relations () are the bilateral relations between the two countries, Burkina Faso and Russia. Diplomatic relations between Burkina Faso and the Soviet Union were established for the first time on February 18, 1967. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Burkina Faso recognized Russia as the USSR's successor. However financial reasons has shut the embassies between the two nations. In 1992, the embassy of the Russian Federation in Ouagadougou was closed, and in 1996, the embassy of Burkina Faso in Moscow was closed. Burkina Faso has since re-opened its embassy in Moscow. Russia is accredited to Burkina Faso from its embassy in Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire).
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is an ethnically integrated, secular state. Most of Burkina Faso's people are concentrated in the south and center of the country, where their density sometimes exceeds 48 persons per square kilometer (125/sq. mi.). Hundreds of thousands of Burkinabè migrate regularly to Ivory Coast and Ghana, mainly for seasonal agricultural work. These flows of workers are affected by external events; the September 2002 coup attempt in Ivory Coast and the ensuing fighting meant that hundreds of thousands of Burkinabè returned to Burkina Faso. The regional economy suffered when they were unable to work.
Politics of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso is divided into 13 regions and 45 provinces:
Centre-Est Region
Most of Burkino Faso is a wide plateau formed by riverine systems and is called falaise de Banfora. There are three major rivers, the Red Volta, Black Volta and White Volta, which cuts through different valleys. The climate is generally hot, with unreliable rains across different seasons. Gold and quartz are common minerals found across the country, while manganese deposits are also common. The dry season is usually from October to May and rains are common during the wet season from June to September. The soil texture is porous and hence the yield is also poor. The average elevation is around to above mean sea level. Among West African countries, Burkino Faso has the largest elephant population and the country is replete with game reserves. The northern regions are generally arid and usually have scrub land and semi-deserts. The principal river is the Red Volta, that originates in the northern region and drains into Ghana. The areas near the rivers usually have flies like tsetse and similium, which are carriers of sleep sickness and river blindness. The average rainfall in the region is around compared with southern regions that receive only rainfall.
Bobo people
The Bobo number about 110,000 people, with the great majority in Burkina Faso. The major Bobo community in the south is Bobo-Dioulasso, the second-largest city of Burkina Faso and the old French colonial capital. Further north are large towns, including and Kouka, with Boura in the extreme north in Mali.
Est Region (Burkina Faso)
Est is one of Burkina Faso's 13 administrative regions. It was created on 2 July 2001. The region's capital is Fada N'gourma. Five provinces make up the region—Gnagna, Gourma, Komondjari, Kompienga, and Tapoa.
Education in Burkina Faso
As of 2010 there were three main public universities in Burkina Faso: The Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso, the University of Koudougou and the University of Ouagadougou. The first private higher education institution was established in 1992 and the Université Libre de Ouagadougou began operations in 2000. The Université Catholique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest opened its Burkina campus in Bobo-Dioulasso in 2000 with a food and agriculture speciality, and the Catholic in 2004 in Ouagadougou. Supervision rates are different from one university to another. At the University of Ouagadougou there is one lecturer for every 24 students, while at The Polytechnic University of Bobo-Dioulasso they have one lecturer for every three students.
Outline of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Sikasso
Located southeast of Bamako, north of Côte d'Ivoire, and west of Burkina Faso, Sikasso acts as a crossroads between the coastal countries (Togo, Bénin, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire) and the landlocked Mali and Burkina Faso. Sikasso's ethnic groups include the Senufo Bamana,(mainly the Supyire), the Bobo (or Bobo Fing, lit. 'black Bobo'), and the Minianka (Mamara Senufo).
Banfora
Banfora is a city in south western Burkina Faso with a population of 93,750 people (2012). It is the capital of the Comoe province. The city lies south-west of Bobo-Dioulasso, on the Abidjan – Ouagadougou Railway. The Cascades de Karfiguéla are a series of waterfalls close to Banfora. As of the 2006 Census, Banfora was the fourth largest city in Burkina Faso by population.
The first settlers were the Karaboro who with the Gouin and Turkas constitute the city's main ethnic groups. They are all from the south of Burkina Faso.
Music of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso's popular music scene has not yet garnered the fame of that of other West African countries, and many popular recordings are imported from Europe, the United States and Democratic Republic of the Congo. In spite of this influx of popular styles, a few early musical acts achieved success such as Koudbi Koala's group Saaba, who perform traditional Mossi music from the region around Ouagadougou, the nation's capital. With a musical career that lasted half a century, singer Amadou Balaké was one of the foremost singers from the country during the 20th century. In his music, Balaké combined Mandé, Mossi, and Afro-Cuban traditions. Other influential artists from the country include George Ouédraogo and Joseph Moussa Salambéré "Salambo".
Burkinao
Burkinao is a village in the Iolonioro Department of Bougouriba Province in south-western Burkina Faso. The village has a population of 364.
Burkina Faso
In 1998, Burkina Faso hosted the Africa Cup of Nations for which the Omnisport Stadium in Bobo-Dioulasso was built. In 2013, Burkina Faso qualified for the African Cup of Nations in South Africa, reached the final, but then lost to Nigeria by the score of 0 to 1. The country is currently ranked 53rd in the FIFA World Rankings.
Moro-Naba Ceremony
The Moro-Naba Ceremony takes place every Friday around 07:00 in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.
Est Region (Burkina Faso)
Burkina Faso gained independence from France in 1960. It was originally called Upper Volta. There have been military coups until 1983 when Captain Thomas Sankara took control and implemented radical left wing policies. He was outsed by Blaise Compaore, who continued for 27 years until 2014, when a popular uprising ended his rule. As per Law No.40/98/AN in 1998, Burkina Faso adhered to decentralization to provide administrative and financial autonomy to local communities. There are 13 administrative regions, each governed by a Governor. The regions are subdivided into 45 provinces, which are further subdivided into 351 communes. The communes may be urban or rural and are interchangeable. There are other administrative entities like department and village. An urban commune has typically 10,000 people under it. If any commune is not able to get 75 per cent of its planned budget in revenues for 3 years, the autonomy is taken off. The communes are administered by elected Mayors. The communes are stipulated to develop economic, social and cultural values of its citizens. A commune has financial autonomy and can interact with other communes, government agencies or international entities.
Transport in Burkina Faso
There are international airports at Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso and numerous smaller airfields. In 2004, the number of airports totaled 23, only 2 of which had paved runways as of 2005. Air Burkina, which began in 1967, is government-run and has a monopoly on domestic service but also flies to neighboring countries.