BURKINA FASO

HAPPY 58TH INDEPENDENCE TO BURKINA FASO

Burkina Faso is a landlocked West African country that was colonized by France. It gained its independence on Aug. 5, 1960. The name Burkina Faso means “land of incorruptible people”. It was formerly known as Upper Volta, and adopted its current name after it gained its independence.  Its name came out from the Volta River. Its capital is Ouagadougou. Written as “Wogodogo” in the Mòoré dialect. This means “You are welcome here at home with us.”  It is one of the oldest cities on Earth.

Below are some interesting facts you should know

• Burkina faso is a home to the largest elephant population in West Africa.
• Here you can enjoy a tropical climate, with warm, dry winters and hot, wet summers
• In case you were wondering, residents here are ‘Burkinabe’, which interestingly is both singular and plural!
• Like many African nations, the currency of Burkina Faso is the CFA franc. French is the official language. However other dialects are here.
• Most food here comes with sauce. Staple foods are sorghum, millet, rice, maize, peanuts, potatoes, bean, yams and okra.
• This is home to 60 different ethnic groups, each with their own variety of folk music.
• Gold is the main export, followed closely by cotton and various animal products. In fact, Burkina Faso is Africa’s biggest producer of cotton.

Burkina Faso is a leader in African art and culture and hosts the biggest craft market in Africa. It also has 4 national parks. Traditional beliefs hold that crocodiles and humans share the same spirit. Therefore to a Burkinabe, the animal is sacred.

This is an excellent destination for anyone in love with seeing beautiful West African country and exploring African culture and music.