Burkina Faso
Name
| Official name | Burkina Faso — no longer form |
|---|---|
| Former name | Republic of Upper Volta (Haute-Volta), 1958–1984 |
| Demonym | Burkinabè |
| Meaning of the name | "The land of upright people" — Burkina (Mooré, "upright, honest") + Faso (Dioula, "fatherland"); the demonym's suffix from Fula |
| Motto | "Unité – Progrès – Justice" — unity, progress, justice; from 1984 to 1991 "La Patrie ou la Mort, nous vaincrons" |
Quick facts
| Capital | Ouagadougou — the Mossi seat since the 15th century; about 3 million in Kadiogo province |
|---|---|
| Largest cities | Ouagadougou; Bobo-Dioulasso, about 1 million; Koudougou; Ouahigouya; Banfora |
| Official languages | The national languages — Mooré, Dioula, Fulfulde, Gourmanché and some 60 others — since the constitutional revision of December 2023; French the working language of the state |
| Currency | West African CFA franc — ISO code XOF, F CFA; 655.957 to the euro; issued by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) |
| Time zone | Greenwich Mean Time, UTC±0, all year |
| Calling code | +226 |
| Internet domain | .bf |
| ISO 3166 codes | BF · BFA · 854 |
| Vehicle registration code | BF |
| Driving side | Right |
| Electricity | 220 V, 50 Hz; plug types C and E |
| Independence | 5 August 1960, from France — as the Republic of Upper Volta |
| National days | 11 December, National Day — the proclamation of the Republic of Upper Volta in 1958; 5 August, Independence Day; 4 August, the revolution and the renaming of 1984 |
| Constitution | 2 June 1991 — the Fourth Republic; suspended in part under the Transition Charter of 2022, revised 2024 |
| Population | 20,505,155 at the census of 2019; about 24 million (World Bank and CIA World Factbook, 2025 est.) |
| Area | 274,200 km² (105,870 sq mi) — land 273,800 km², water 400 km²; landlocked; a little larger than Colorado |
Flag & national symbols
| National flag | Red over green with a yellow star at the seam — the pan-African colors and the guiding light of the revolution, raised by Thomas Sankara on 4 August 1984 with the country's new name; kept unchanged by the Constitution of 1991, Article 34.Flag of Burkina Faso |
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| Coat of arms | The flag in a shield supported by two white stallions, with crossed lances, sorghum plants and an open book, over the motto — the arms of Upper Volta restored in 1997 with the new flag in the shield; the 1984 arms had shown a hoe and a Kalashnikov |
| National anthem | "Ditanyè" — "Une Seule Nuit," "One Single Night" — words and music by Thomas Sankara; adopted 4 August 1984 |
| National motto | "Unité – Progrès – Justice" |
| National colors | Red, green and yellow |
| National animal | The white stallion — the Étalons of the arms and the national football team; heraldic, widely cited |
| National dish | Riz gras; tô, the millet or sorghum paste, with sauces; widely cited |
| Symbol status | The flag, arms, anthem and motto are fixed by Article 34 of the Constitution and the Law of 1997 on the arms; the animal and dish are widely cited |
Geography
| Location | West Africa, in the Sahel and the savanna — landlocked between Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire |
|---|---|
| Land borders | 3,611 km (2,244 mi) with six countries |
| Border with Mali | 1,325 km (823 mi) |
| Border with Niger | 622 km (386 mi) |
| Border with Ghana | 602 km (374 mi) |
| Border with Côte d'Ivoire | 545 km (339 mi) |
| Border with Benin | 386 km (240 mi) |
| Border with Togo | 131 km (81 mi) |
| Coastline | None — landlocked |
| Highest point | Tenakourou, 749 m (2,457 ft), in the west near the Malian border |
| Lowest point | The Mouhoun — the Black Volta — at the Ghanaian border, 200 m (656 ft) |
| Mean elevation | 297 m (974 ft) |
| The three Voltas | The Mouhoun (Black Volta), the Nakanbé (White Volta) and the Nazinon (Red Volta) — the rivers that named Upper Volta, flowing south to join in Ghana; the Comoé in the southwest |
| Terrain | A savanna plateau; the sandstone cliffs and peaks of the west — the Pics de Sindou, the Banfora escarpment; the Sahel of dunes and scrub in the north |
| Climate | Tropical — a rainy season from May to September, the harmattan of the dry season; the Sahel drier and hotter in the north |
| Natural hazards | Drought and desertification; floods in the rains; the harmattan dust |
| Natural resources | Gold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt |
| Land use | Agricultural land about 44%; arable about 22%; forest about 20% |
| National parks | Arly and W, the Burkinabè parts of the W-Arly-Pendjari complex; the Nazinga reserve; the Sindou peaks |
| UNESCO World Heritage | 3 — the Ruins of Loropéni (2009), the country's first; the W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (2017, shared with Benin and Niger); the Ancient Ferrous Metallurgy Sites (2019), with furnaces from the 8th century BC |
| Administrative divisions | 17 regions and 47 provinces since the reform of July 2025 — the regions renamed in the national languages (Kadiogo for Centre, Guiriko for Hauts-Bassins, Bankui for Boucle du Mouhoun, Goulmou for Est); 13 regions and 45 provinces before; some 350 communes |
People
| Population | 20,505,155 (census of 2019); about 24 million (2025 estimates) |
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| Population density | About 85 per km² (220 per sq mi) |
| Population growth | About 2.5% a year |
| Median age | About 17 years |
| Life expectancy | About 60 years |
| Fertility rate | About 4.5 births per woman |
| Urban population | About 33% |
| Adult literacy | About 46% |
| Ethnic groups | Mossi about 52%, Fula about 8%, Gurmanché about 7%, Bobo about 5%, Gurunsi about 5%, Senufo, Bissa, Lobi, Dagara and others (2019 census) |
| Languages | Mooré by about half; Dioula the trade language of the west; Fulfulde, Gourmanché, Bissa; French in government and school |
| Religion | Muslim about 64%, Roman Catholic about 20%, Protestant about 6%, traditional beliefs about 9% (2019 census) |
| Displacement | More than 2 million people internally displaced by the insurgency at its height in 2023 — among the largest displacement crises in Africa |
| Human Development Index | 0.459 (2023 data, 2025 report) — low; 185th of 193 |
| Diaspora | Millions of Burkinabè in Côte d'Ivoire — the largest community abroad — and in Ghana, Mali, Italy and France |
Government
| Form of government | A military-led transition under the Transition Charter of October 2022, revised May 2024 — the Constitution of 1991 in force where the Charter does not override it |
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| President of the Transition | Captain Ibrahim Traoré, since 30 September 2022 — born 1988, the youngest head of state in the world on taking office; he deposed Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Damiba, who had deposed the elected president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré in January 2022 |
| The transition | First due to end with elections by 1 July 2024; extended on 25 May 2024 by five years to July 2029, with the president eligible to stand; the electoral commission dissolved in July 2025 |
| Prime Minister | Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, since 7 December 2024 — formerly minister of communication; his predecessor Apollinaire Kyélem de Tambèla, 2022–2024 |
| Legislature | The Transitional Legislative Assembly of 71 appointed members, since 2022 |
| Legal system | Civil law on the French model, with customary law; a Constitutional Council |
| Regions | 17, each under a governor, since July 2025 |
| The insurgency | Since 2015 the al-Qaeda affiliate JNIM and the Islamic State Sahel Province have fought the state across the north and east — large parts of the territory outside government control, tens of thousands killed and more than 2 million displaced; a volunteer militia, the VDP, raised in 2020 and expanded under Traoré |
| The Sahel confederation | The Alliance of Sahel States with Mali and Niger, formed 16 September 2023, became a confederation on 6 July 2024; Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left ECOWAS on 29 January 2025; Traoré has chaired the confederation since 24 December 2025 |
| Foreign alignment | French forces expelled in February 2023; Russian military support since; withdrawal from the International Criminal Court announced with Mali and Niger in September 2025 |
| United Nations | Member since 20 September 1960 |
| Regional memberships | The West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA); the African Union; the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie |
Economy
| GDP (nominal) | About US$22 billion (2025, IMF) |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita | About US$900 (2025) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | About US$2,800 (2025) |
| GDP growth | About 4–5% (2024–25) |
| Economy by sector | Services about 45%, industry about 30%, agriculture about 20% — but agriculture employs some 80% of workers |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (XOF), fixed to the euro |
| Gold | The leading export by far — about 80% of export earnings; among the five largest producers in Africa; the state took control of foreign-owned mines from 2024 |
| Cotton | The traditional export — "white gold" — among Africa's largest crops |
| Livestock and food crops | Cattle, sheep and goats to the coast; sorghum, millet and maize for the country |
| Trade partners | Switzerland, India and the United Arab Emirates for gold; Côte d'Ivoire, China, France and Ghana for imports |
| Income classification | Low income (World Bank) |
Transport & infrastructure
| Main airport | Ouagadougou Airport; Bobo-Dioulasso; a new airport at Donsin outside the capital under construction |
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| Airline | Air Burkina, the national carrier, since 1967 |
| Railways | The Abidjan–Ouagadougou line, about 620 km (385 mi) in Burkina Faso, meter gauge — the country's outlet to the sea |
| Roads | About 15,000 km (9,300 mi), a fifth paved; the routes to Abidjan, Lomé, Accra and Cotonou the lifelines of a landlocked country |
| Ports | None — trade through Abidjan, Lomé, Tema and Cotonou |
| Motorcycles | The mopeds of Ouagadougou — the most motorcycles per head in West Africa |
History in dates
| 8th century BC | Iron smelted at Douroula — among the oldest in Africa |
|---|---|
| 11th century | The stone ruins of Loropéni |
| 15th century | The Mossi kingdoms — Ouagadougou under the Mogho Naaba, Yatenga, Tenkodogo |
| 1896 | The French take Ouagadougou |
| 1919 | The colony of Upper Volta created, 1 March |
| 1932 | Upper Volta dissolved among its neighbors; restored 1947 |
| 1958 | The Republic of Upper Volta proclaimed, 11 December |
| 1960 | Independence, 5 August — Maurice Yaméogo president |
| 1966 | The first coup — Sangoulé Lamizana |
| 1983 | Thomas Sankara takes power, 4 August |
| 1984 | Burkina Faso, the flag and the anthem, 4 August |
| 1987 | Sankara assassinated, 15 October; Blaise Compaoré's 27 years begin |
| 1991 | The Constitution of the Fourth Republic, 2 June |
| 2014 | The uprising of 30–31 October drives Compaoré out |
| 2015 | Roch Marc Christian Kaboré elected; the insurgency begins |
| 2022 | Two coups — Damiba, 24 January; Traoré, 30 September |
| 2024 | The transition extended to 2029, 25 May; the Sahel confederation, 6 July |
| 2025 | Withdrawal from ECOWAS, 29 January; 17 regions with new names, 2 July |
Records & firsts
| The oldest iron in West Africa | The furnaces of Douroula, 8th century BC — a World Heritage site |
|---|---|
| Africa's film capital | FESPACO, the Pan-African film festival of Ouagadougou since 1969 — the continent's largest |
| A name from two languages | Burkina Faso — Mooré and Dioula, joined in 1984 |
| The youngest head of state | Ibrahim Traoré, 34 on taking power in 2022 |
| A president who wrote the anthem | Thomas Sankara, 1984 |
| The Étalons | Africa Cup of Nations finalists in 2013 |
| The Sindou peaks | The sandstone needles of the southwest |
| The Grand Mosque of Bobo-Dioulasso | Sudano-Sahelian mud architecture of the 1890s |
| Regions renamed | The first West African state to replace French place-names with national-language ones, 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the official name of Burkina Faso?
Burkina Faso — no longer form. The name means "the land of upright people": Burkina, "upright" or "honest," is Mooré, the language of the Mossi, and Faso, "fatherland," is Dioula — two languages joined by Thomas Sankara on 4 August 1984 so that no one people would own the name. The country was the Republic of Upper Volta from 1958, named for the three Volta rivers. A citizen is a Burkinabè.
What is the capital of Burkina Faso?
Ouagadougou, on the central plateau — the seat of the Mossi emperor, the Mogho Naaba, since the 15th century and the capital of Upper Volta from 1947, with about 3 million people in its province. Bobo-Dioulasso in the southwest, with about a million, is the second city and the commercial and cultural capital of the west.
How big is Burkina Faso, and how many people live there?
About 274,200 km² (105,870 sq mi) — a little larger than Colorado, landlocked in the middle of West Africa with six neighbors. The census of 2019 counted 20.5 million people; the World Bank and the CIA World Factbook estimate about 24 million for 2025, growing at about 2.5 percent a year, with a median age of about 17.
What are the highest and lowest points of Burkina Faso?
Tenakourou, 749 m (2,457 ft), in the far west near the Malian border, is the highest point; the Mouhoun — the Black Volta — where it leaves for Ghana, at 200 m (656 ft), is the lowest. The country is a plateau of savanna about 300 m high, drained by the three Voltas — the Mouhoun, the Nakanbé and the Nazinon, the Black, White and Red — and dry to the Sahel in the north.
What currency does Burkina Faso use?
The West African CFA franc (ISO code XOF), shared with seven other states of the West African Economic and Monetary Union and fixed at 655.957 to the euro; the Confederation of Sahel States has announced plans for a currency of its own. Clocks keep Greenwich Mean Time, UTC±0, all year.
Who governs Burkina Faso?
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the interim president since the coup of 30 September 2022 — his second coup of that year, following the January coup that had removed the elected president, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. The transition, first meant to end in July 2024, was extended in May 2024 to July 2029, with Traoré free to stand; Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo has been prime minister since 7 December 2024. Burkina Faso left ECOWAS in January 2025 and, with Mali and Niger, forms the Confederation of Sahel States, which Traoré has chaired since December 2025.
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