Burkina Faso

Lore & Background

Formerly the Republic of Upper Volta, the country was renamed 'Burkina Faso' on 4 August 1984 by then-President Thomas Sankara. The words 'Burkina' and 'Faso' stem from different languages spoken in the country: 'Burkina' comes from Mooré and means 'upright', while 'Faso' comes from the Dyula language and means 'fatherland'. The '-bé' suffix added onto 'Burkina' to form the demonym 'Burkinabé' comes from the Fula language and is a plural marker for people, meaning 'people of' or 'inhabitants'. The French Colony of Upper Volta was named for its location on the upper courses of the Volta River.

In Their Own Story

Dawn breaks over Ouagadougou as the call to prayer echoes from the Great Mosque. In the central market, vendors arrange piles of bright red peppers and woven baskets under the shade of acacia trees. An elder plays a balafon, his fingers dancing across wooden keys while children gather close, learning rhythms that have traveled through generations.

Reader's Guide

The largest ethnic group in Burkina Faso is the Mossi people, who settled the area in the 11th and 13th centuries. They established kingdoms such as Ouagadougou, Tenkodogo, and Yatenga. In 1896, it was colonized by the French as part of French West Africa; in 1958, Upper Volta became a self-governing colony within the French Community. In 1960, it gained full independence with Maurice Yaméogo as the president. Since independence, the country has dealt with political instability, droughts, famines, and corruption. There have been various coups d'état, in 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, and twice in 2022, in January and September. There were also unsuccessful coup attempts in 1989, 2015, and 2023. Burkina Faso remains one of the least developed countries in the world, with a GDP of $16.226 billion in 2022. Approximately 63.8% of its population practices Islam, while 26.3% practices Christianity and 9% animistic religions. The country's official languages include Mooré, Dyula, Fula, and Bissa (as of 1998), with Mooré being spoken by over half the population. The former government and business language was French until January 2024 when, alongside English, its status was demoted to that of a 'working language' by ratification of a constitutional amendment. The country is governed as a semi-presidential republic. It is a member of the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Since 2025, Burkina Faso has formalised its exit from ECOWAS and La Francophonie, after it helped form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). It also remains suspended from the African Union.

Did You Know?

• The country's territory is geographically biodiverse, and includes plentiful reserves of gold, manganese, copper and limestone.
• Due to its multicultural make-up, Burkinabè art has a rich and long history, and is globally renowned for its diverse and distinctive styles.
• The northwestern part of present-day Burkina Faso was populated by hunter-gatherers from 14,000 BC to 5,000 BC.
• The oldest evidence of iron smelting found in Burkina Faso dates from 800 to 700 BC.