Africa > West Africa > Burkina faso

Burkina faso

Capital: Ouagadougou; GDP growth (annual %) 2016 : 5.9%
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Key Facts

Full name: Burkina Faso
Population: 16.9million (UN, 2011)
Area: 274,200 sq km (105,870 sq miles)
Major languages: French, indigenous languages
Major religions: Indigenous beliefs, Islam, Christianity
Life expectancy: 55 years (men), 57 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) franc = 100 centimes
Main exports: Cotton, animal products, gold
GNI per capita: US $550 (World Bank, 2010)
Internet domain: .bf
International dialling code: +226

 

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    The country (Burkina Faso) is situated in Western Africa, north of Ghana.
    It has borders with Benin for 306km, Ivory Coast for 584km, Ghana for 549km, Mali for 1000km, Niger for 628km and Togo for 126km. Land in Burkina Faso is typically flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast. Burkinabe land covers an area of 274200 km².
    The climate is tropical with warm and dry winters and hot and wet summers.
    Burkinabe (singular and plural) speak French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the people.

    Country Overview

    Burkina Faso is a low-gain ($690 gross per capita gain in 2014), landlocked Sub-Saharan country, with limited natural resources. Its people, which is growing at an average annual rate of 3%, was estimated at almost 17.9 million inhabitants in 2014. The economy is heavily reliant on agricultural production, with close to 80% of the active people employed in the sector. Cotton is the country’s most significant cash crop, while gold exports have gained importance in recent years.

  • Ouagadougou

    2012/12/08

    Ouagadougou  is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic centre of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 (as of 2006). The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais. The spelling of the name Ouagadougou is derived from the French orthography common in former French African colonies. If English orthography were used (as in Ghana or Nigeria), the spelling would be Wagadugu.