Burkina Faso flag

Burkina Faso

History

Mossi kingdoms centred on Ouagadougou dominated the Volta basin.
France took control and incorporated the territory into French West Africa.
Independence came on 5 August as Upper Volta.
Thomas Sankara led a radical reform government and renamed the country Burkina Faso.
A popular uprising and transition led to competitive elections.
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CapitalOuagadougou
Population24.1M
Area273k km2
CurrencyWest African CFA franc

Short facts

RegionWest Africa / Sahel
LanguageFrench
Time zoneGMT (UTC+0)
Drives onRight

Worth seeing

  • Ruins of Loropeni: Stone walls of a pre-European trading settlement, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
  • FESPACO: Africa's largest film festival, held in Ouagadougou.
  • Sindou Peaks: Eroded sandstone spires forming a narrow ridge near Banfora.

Find a city in Burkina Faso

Showing all cities

Ouagadougou thumbnailOuagadougouCity

Planning questions

What is Burkina Faso known for?Ruins of Loropeni, FESPACO, Sindou Peaks.
What is the capital?Ouagadougou.
Which language is useful?French.
When is the national day?11 December.
How should I browse it here?Start with the facts, jump to linked cities, then check events and topics.

Upcoming events

Use Ouagadougou as the first planning anchor for Burkina Faso, then compare the city, food and worth-seeing notes on this page.

Food & drink

Street food thumbnailStreet foodSignature dishCoffee thumbnailCoffeeLocal drink

Known for

Ruins of LoropeniFESPACOSindou PeaksOuagadougouStreet foodCoffee
Eurovision Song Contest thumbnailMusic & CultureFestivals, concerts and cultural calendars.Africa thumbnailAfrican outdoorsParks, coasts, desert routes and seasonal nature calendars.