Country Profiles: Burkina Faso

Official name: Republic of Burkina Faso

Official language: French

Land area: 105,869 sq mi/274,200 sq km

Population: 15,454,000

Dominant religion: Islam

Capital: Ouagadougou

Current leader: President Blaise Compaore

Burkina Faso is a country in western Africa. It lies inland, about 600 miles (970 kilometers) from the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by Niger to the east, Togo, Benin, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire to the south and Mali to the west and north. Burkina Faso means land of the honest people.

 Most of the country’s people belong to one of two main cultural groups: the Voltaic and Mande. About 50 percent of the people are Muslims while Christians make up about 10 percent. The rest practice traditional tribal religions. Most of the adults can’t read or write, giving Burkina one of the world’s highest illiteracy rates.

 Burkina Faso is one of the world’s poorest, least-developed countries. Cattle raising and farming are the most important economic activities. Many of the country’s young men go to neighboring Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire to work on cocoa and coffee plantations, sending money home.

 The French arrived in the late 1800’s and by 1896 had conquered Ouagadougou. In January 1897 it became a protectorate of France. In 1919, France formally created the colony of Upper Volta. By 1958 it was a self-governing state within the French Community. Upper Volta declared independence on Aug. 5, 1960. In 1984 the Upper Volta was renamed Burkina Faso.