Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso mapFormerly the Republic of Upper Volta, the country was renamed “Burkina Faso” in 1984. The words “Burkina” meaning “upright” and “Faso” meaning “fatherland.”

  • The capital and main city is Ouagadougou
  • The official language is French
  • Area: 105,900 sq mi (slightly larger than the State of Michigan)
  • Population approx. 20 million in 2017
  • Climate: The country has a primarily tropical climate with two very distinct seasons. 1) The rainy season where the country receives between 60 and 90 cm of rainfall 2) The dry season, the Harmattan – where a hot dry wind from the Sahara blows.

Fun Fact: Burkina Faso has a larger number of elephants than many countries in West Africa. Lions, leopards and buffalo can also be found here, including the dwarf or red buffalo.


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