Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (UK: Help:IPA/English /bɜːˌkiː.nə ˈfæs.əʊ/, US: /bʊrˌkiː.nə ˈfɑː.soʊ/) is a country in West Africa. It used to be called Upper Volta and the name was changed to Burkina Faso in 1984. The country was once ruled by France, but it has been independent since 1960. The capital is Ouagadougou.
Burkina Faso | |
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| Capital and largest city | Ouagadougou 12°22′N 1°32′W / 12.367°N 1.533°W |
| Official languages | French |
| Ethnic groups (2010 est.)[1] | |
| Religion (2006) |
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| Demonym(s) |
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| Government | Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic |
| Ibrahim Traore (Interim) | |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
| Independence | |
• Republic of Upper Volta proclaimed | 11 December 1958 |
• from France | 5 August 1960 |
| Area | |
• Total | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). (74th) |
• Water (%) | 0.146% |
| Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 21,510,181[2] (58th) |
• 2006 census | 14,017,262 |
• Density | Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1850: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). (137th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2020 estimate |
• Total | $45.339 billion |
• Per capita | $2,207[3] |
| GDP (nominal) | 2020 estimate |
• Total | $16.226 billion |
• Per capita | $792[4] |
| Gini (2020) |  38.9[5]medium |
| HDI (2019) |  0.452[6]low · 182nd |
| Currency | West African CFA franc[7] (XOF) |
| Time zone | UTC (GMT) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +226 |
| ISO 3166 code | BF |
| Internet TLD | .bf |
The data here is an estimation for the year 2005 produced by the International Monetary Fund in April 2005. | |
In 2005, about 13,228,000 people lived in the country. It is next to Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. It does not have any coast with an ocean or sea. People from Burkina Faso are called Burkinabé (pronounced burr-KEE-na-bay).
History
People have lived in the area of Burkina Faso for thousands of years. At first, they were hunter-gatherers, hunting animals and collecting fruits and vegetables.[9] Later they became farmers. People called the Mossi arrived between the 11th and 13th centuries.[9] They ruled the area until the end of the 19th century. In 1896 France beat the Mossi kingdom and became the colonial rulers of Burkina Faso. After World War I, the country was called Upper Volta.
In 1960, Upper Volta became independent from France. The first president of the new country was Maurice Yaméogo. After he became the president, Yaméogo banned other political parties. For several years the people of Upper Volta were very unhappy with the government and in 1966 the military took over in a military coup. In 1983 the government was taken over again by military men called Thomas Sankara and Blaise Compaoré. Sankara became president. In 1984, he changed the name of the country to Burkina Faso. It means "land of honest people".[10]
In December 1985, Burkina Faso went to war for five days with near-by country Mali. In 1987, there was another military coup and Sankara was assassinated (murdered). Blaise Compaoré became the president.
On 28 October 2014 protesters began to march and demonstrate in Ouagadougou. Compaoré was ready to change the constitution and extend his 27-year rule. On 30 October 2014, some protesters set fire to the parliament.[11] They also took over the national television headquarters.[12] On 31 October 2014, President Compaoré, resigned after 27 years in office.[13]
In 2015 the country held their first election. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, a former Prime Minister, was elected as president. In 2022, Kaboré was removed from power during a military coup d'état led by Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.
Regions, provinces, and departments
Burkina Faso is divided into thirteen regions, forty-five provinces, and 301 departments. The regions are:
Cities
Below is a list of the largest cities in Burkina Faso. For other cities see List of cities in Burkina Faso.
| City | Population (Census 2006)[14] |
|---|---|
| Ouagadougou | 1,181,702 |
| Bobo Dioulasso | 435,543 |
| Koudougou | 82,720 |
| Banfora | 72,144 |
| Ouahigouya | 70,957 |
| Kaya | 25,880 |
| Tenkodogo | 40,839 |
| Fada N'gourma | 40,815 |
| Dédougou | 37,793 |
| Houndé | 34,669 |
Geography and climate
Burkina Faso is made up of two major types of countryside. The larger part of the country is covered by a peneplain. It has a gently undulating landscape with a few isolated hills. The southwest of the country forms a sandstone massif. The highest peak, Ténakourou, is found at an elevation of 749 meters (2,457 ft). The area is bordered by sheer cliffs up to 150 meters (492 ft) high. The average altitude of Burkina Faso is 400 meters (1,312 ft). The difference between the highest and lowest terrain is no greater than 600 meters (1,969 ft). Burkina Faso is a mostly flat country.
Burkina Faso has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons. In the rainy season, the country receives between 600 and 900 millimeters (23.6 and 35.4 in) of rainfall. In the dry season, the harmattan – a hot dry wind from the Sahara – blows. The rainy season lasts about four months, from May/June to September. It is shorter in the north of the country.
Burkina Faso's natural resources include manganese, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt and small deposits of gold.
Burkina Faso's fauna and flora are protected in two national parks and several reserves.
Culture
Literature in Burkina Faso is based on the oral tradition, which remains important. Since the 1970s, literature has developed in Burkina Faso with many more writers being published.[15]
There is also a large artist community, especially in Ouagadougou. Much of the crafts produced are for the growing tourist industry.
The food of Burkina Faso, typical of west African cuisine, is based around staple foods of sorghum, millet, rice, maize, peanuts, potatoes, beans, yams and okra.[16] The most common sources of protein are chicken, eggs and fresh water fish.
Burkina Faso Media
Africa de l'Oèst en 1875Africa de l'Oèst en 1875
The cavalry of the Mossi Kingdoms were experts at raiding deep into enemy territory, even against the formidable Mali Empire.
Armed men prevent the French explorer Louis-Gustave Binger from entering Sia (Bobo-Dioulasso) during his stay in April 1892.
French West Africa c. 1913
The capital, Ouagadougou, in 1930
Maurice Yaméogo, the first president of Upper Volta, examines documents pertaining to the ratification of the country's independence in 1960
Blaise Compaoré, President 1987–2014.
Thousands of protesters march through Ouagadougou
Related pages
References
- ↑ "Africa: Burkina Faso The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency". cia.gov. 2019. Archived from the original on 15 June 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-12-21. Retrieved 2016-02-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title". 16 December 2021.
- ↑ "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects".
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedai.com. - ↑ "Distribution of family income – Gini index". The World Factbook. CIA. Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ↑ Human Development Report 2020 The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 15 December 2020. pp. 343–346. ISBN 978-92-1-126442-5. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
- ↑ CFA Franc BCEAO. Codes: XOF / 952 ISO 4217 currency names and code elements Archived 7 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. ISO.
- ↑ André, Géraldine (31 May 2007). "École, langues, cultures et développement". Cahiers d'Études Africaines (in français). 47 (186): 221–247. doi:10.4000/etudesafricaines.6960. ISSN 0008-0055.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Peoples of Africa, Volume 2. Marshall Cavendish. 2001. p. 51. ISBN 076147160X.
- ↑ People, Book (September 1999). Kingfisher Geography Encyclopedia. p. 170. ISBN 1-85613-582-9.
- ↑ "BBC News - Burkina Faso parliament set ablaze". BBC News. 30 October 2014. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29831262. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
- ↑ "Burkina Faso protesters set parliament on fire, take over state TV and march on presidency". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
- ↑ Taoko, Hervé; Cowell, Alan (31 October 2014). Burkina Faso's President Resigns, and General Takes Reins. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/01/world/africa/burkina-faso-unrest-blaise-compaore.html.
- ↑ "National 2006 census preliminary results" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
- ↑ Marchais, Julien (2006). Burkina Faso (in French). Petit Futé. pp. 91–92. ISBN 2746916010.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ↑ "Oxfam's Cool Planet – Food in Burkina Faso". Oxfam. Archived from the original on 17 May 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2008.
Other websites
Media related to Burkina Faso at Wikimedia Commons
Burkina Faso travel guide from Wikivoyage