All About Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso is a landlocked African country surrounded by Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana in the south, Cote d’Ivoire to the southwest, and Mali to the north.

Burkina is a rapidly growing country with an estimated 2019 population of 20.32 million, which makes Burkina that 62th most populous country in the world. The country has a surface area of 274,200 square kilometers. On August 4, 1984, the country changed its name from the Republic of Upper Volta. Burkina Faso’s people are known as Burkinabe.

Hunter-gatherers populated the area between 14,000 and 5,000 BC. Farming settlements appeared between 3600 and 2600 BC. Mossi kingdoms were present in the central part of the nation. In 1896, Burkina Faso became a French protectorate. After its independence in 1960, several governmental changes occurred until the country took its present semi-presidential republic form. Blaise Compaore is the current president.

Ouagadougou is the capital. The African Union, Community of Sahel-Saharan States, La Francophonie, Organization of the Islamic Conference and Economic Community of West African States list Burkina Faso as a member.