Burkina Faso

I

Introduction

Burkina Faso, country in western Africa, formerly known as Upper Volta. It was a French colony until 1960, when it gained independence. The country took the name Burkina Faso, meaning “land of upright people” in 1985. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries of what was formerly French West Africa, and each year thousands of its people seek jobs in neighboring countries, chiefly seasonal farm work in Ghana or Côte d’Ivoire.

Burkina Faso is situated in drought-prone grasslands in the heart of western Africa. This landlocked country lies between the Sahara to its north and tropical rain forests to its south. Most of its people, who are known as Burkinabe, live in the southern part of the country, which is densely populated. They live chiefly by farming, despite poor soil and frequent droughts.

Kingdoms established by the Mossi people in what is now Burkina Faso rank among Africa’s oldest kingdoms, and date back hundreds of years. After gaining independence in 1960, the country experienced repeated coups and periods of military rule. Burkina Faso has had a democratic government since a new constitution was introduced in 1991.

Burkina Faso is bounded on the north and west by Mali, on the east by Niger, and on the south by Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire. Ouagadougou is the capital and largest city.

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II

Land and Resources

Burkina Faso is located on a plateau, and most of the country is between 300 and 400 m (1,000 and 1,300 ft) above sea level. The plateau slopes generally to the south, but the altitude never falls below 198 m (650 ft). Most of the country consists of vast plains, broken by occasional low hills. On the sandstone plateau west of Bobo-Dioulasso, a few summits reach heights exceeding 760 m (2,500 ft).

A

Rivers

In the east are small rivers that eventually flow into the Niger. More important are the Black Volta (Mouhoun), Red Volta (Nazinon), and White Volta (Nakanbe) rivers, which drain the plateau to the south. These rivers join in Ghana as the Volta River. None of Burkina Faso’s rivers are navigable. They are either seasonally dry or else in flood.

B

Plants and Animals

Most of the country is covered with grass and small trees. In the north and east the vegetation consists of acacia woodland and scrub. Elsewhere sparse savanna grasslands prevail. Only in the southwest does the savanna appear to have adequate water. In the north the grassland reverts to semidesert in the dry season.

There are a number of wild animals in Burkina Faso, including elephants, hippopotamuses, buffalo, antelope, monkeys, and crocodiles. Harmful insects include the malaria-carrying mosquito and the tsetse fly, which infects people with sleeping sickness (see Trypanosomiasis) and livestock with a disease called nagana.

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