Burkina Faso is a landlocked country located in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the north and west, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo to the south, and Ghana to the southwest. The capital and largest city is Ouagadougou, and the official language is French.

Burkina Faso's economy is primarily based on agriculture, with cotton being the country's most important export. Gold mining and other mineral resources also contribute to the economy. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the government has undertaken significant economic and social reforms in recent years to address poverty and inequality.

Burkina Faso has a rich cultural heritage, with more than 60 different ethnic groups and a variety of traditional music, dance, and art forms. The country is known for its masks and other handicrafts, as well as its traditional festivals and celebrations.

Burkina Faso is a presidential republic, with the president serving as both the head of state and government. The country has a multi-party system, and elections are held every five years. Burkina Faso has a free press and a vibrant civil society, though it faces challenges related to corruption, human rights abuses, and political instability.

Burkina Faso has made significant progress in areas such as education and healthcare, but the country still faces many challenges, including poverty, food insecurity, and a lack of infrastructure. Burkina Faso is committed to addressing these issues, with a focus on promoting economic growth, expanding access to education and healthcare, and improving governance and human rights.

National holiday
Republic Day, 11 December (1958); note - commemorates the day that Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community

Telephone Code
226

Local Emergency Phone
Local numbers only

Vaccinations
An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required for travelers arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission and for travelers having transited through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. See WHO recommendations. On 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Burkina Faso is currently considered a high risk to travelers for polio; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine.

Climate
Tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers

Currency (Code)
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (Western African CFA francs, XOF)

Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s)
220 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): C, E


Major Languages
French, native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of population

Major Religions
Muslim 63.2%, Roman Catholic 24.6%, Protestant 6.9%, traditional/animist 4.2%

Potable Water
Opt for bottled water

International Driving Permit
Suggested

Road Driving Side
Right

Tourist Destinations
Cour Royale; Sindou Peaks; Réserve de Nazinga; Niansogoni Village; Ouagadougou (includes Grande Mosquée, Grand Marché, Moro-Naba Palace); Dômes de Fabedougou; ruins of Loropeni

Major Sports
Soccer, cycling, rugby, basketball

Cultural Practices
In Burkina Faso, when the national flag is lowered, people are expected to stand at attention.

Tipping Guidelines
A 10-15% service charge is usually included in the bill for restaurants. However, it is customary to tip taxi drivers and hotel staff.

Souvenirs
Woven baskets and rugs, leather goods, hand-carved chess sets and wooden statues, bronze models, tribal masks and jewelry

Traditional Cuisine
Riz gras — white rice, tomato paste, and vegetables such as eggplant, carrots, onions, chili peppers, and garlic boiled together into a thick rice stew and served with raw onions

Geography
Area
total: 274,200 sq km
land: 273,800 sq km
water: 400 sq km

Climate
three climate zones including a hot tropical savanna with a short rainy season in the southern half, a tropical hot semi-arid steppe climate typical of the Sahel region in the northern half, and small area of hot desert in the very north of the country bordering the Sahara Desert

Natural resources
gold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt

People and Society
Population
22,489,126 (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups
Mossi 52%, Fulani 8.4%, Gurma 7%, Bobo 4.9%, Gurunsi 4.6%, Senufo 4.5%, Bissa 3.7%, Lobi 2.4%, Dagara 2.4%, Tuareg/Bella 1.9%, Dioula 0.8%, unspecified/no answer 0.3%, other 7.2% (2010 est.)

Languages
Mossi 52.9%, Fula 7.8%, Gourmantche 6.8%, Dyula 5.7%, Bissa 3.3%, Gurunsi 3.2%, French (official) 2.2%, Bwamu 2%, Dagara 2%, San 1.7%, Marka 1.6%, Bobo 1.5%, Senufo 1.5%, Lobi 1.2%, other 6.6% (2019 est.)

Religions
Muslim 63.2%, Roman Catholic 24.6%, Protestant 6.9%, traditional/animist 4.2%, none 0.7%, unspecified 0.4% (2017-18 est.)

Population growth rate
2.46% (2023 est.)

Government
Government type
presidential republic

Capital
name: Ouagadougou

Economy
Economic overview
highly agrarian, low-income economy; limited natural resources; widespread poverty; terrorism disrupting potential economic activity; improving trade balance via increases in gold exports; economy inflating after prior deflation; growing public debt but still manageable

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$48.175 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$2,200 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products
sorghum, maize, millet, cotton, cow peas, sugar cane, groundnuts, rice, sesame seed, vegetables

Industries
cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold

Exports
$5.356 billion (2020 est.)

Exports - partners
Switzerland 59%, India 21% (2019)

Exports - commodities
gold, cotton, zinc, cashews, sesame seeds (2019)

Imports
$4.779 billion (2020 est.)

Imports - partners
Cote d'Ivoire 15%, China 9%, Ghana 8%, France 8%, India 6%, United States 5% (2019)

Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, delivery trucks, packaged medicines, electricity, aircraft (2019)