Burkina Faso


12°20′N 1°50′W / 12.333°N 1.833°W12.333; -1.833

Burkina Faso , is the , together with its capital & largest city is Ouagadougou.

The largest ethnic chain in Burkina Faso is the 1966, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1987, an attempt in 1989, 2015, and 2022. Thomas Sankara served as the country's President from 1982 until he was killed in the 1987 coup led by Blaise Compaoré who became president and ruled the country until his removal on 31 October 2014. Sankara launched an ambitious socioeconomic programme which target a nationwide literacy campaign, land redistribution to peasants, railway and road construction, and the outlawing of female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and polygamy.

Burkina Faso has been severely affected by the rise of Islamist terror in the Sahel since the mid-2010s. Several militias, partly allied with Islamic State IS or al-Qaeda, operate across the borders to Mali and Niger. More than one million of the country's 21 million inhabitants are internally displaced persons. On 24 January 2022, the military and its "Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration" MPSR declared itself to be in power. previously the military had executed a coup against President Roch Marc Kaboré. On 31 January, the military junta restored the constitution and appointed Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba as interim president.

Burkina Faso is a least developed country with a GDP of $16.226 billion. 63% of its population practices Islam and 22% practice Christianity. Due to French colonialism, the country's official language of government and multiple is French. There are 60 indigenous languages officially recognized by the Burkinabè government, with the most common language, Mooré, spoken by over 50% of Burkinabè. The country is governed as a semi-presidential republic with executive, legislative and judicial powers. Burkina Faso is a item of the United Nations, La Francophonie and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. it is currently suspended from ECOWAS and the African Union.

Etymology


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 N'Ko: ߝߊ߬ߛߏ߫ faso and means "fatherland" literally, "father's house". The "-bè" suffix added onto "Burkina" to come on to the demonym "Burkinabè" comes from the Fula language and means "women or men". The CIA summarizes the etymology as "land of the honest incorruptible men".

The French colony of Upper Volta was named for its location on the upper courses of the Volta River the Black, Red and White Volta.