• International Calendar 2026


Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Western Africa

AREA 106K mi2; 274K km2

ARABLE 22%

POP 23M (218/mi2; 84/km2)

GOV’T Presidential republic

CAPITAL Ouagadougou (3.2M)

GDP/CAPITA $2,500

UNEMPLOYMENT 5.3%

IN POVERTY 43%

LIFE EXP 64 years

MEDIAN AGE 19yrs

INFANT MORT 47/1K live births (20th)

LITERACY 46%

INTERNET USERS 20%

LANGUAGES Mossi, Fula, Gourmantche, Dyula, Bissa, Gurunsi, Bwamu, Dagara, San, Marka, and Bobo—among many official indigenous languages; French (working language + language of instruction) 

RELIGIONS Muslim 64%, Roman Catholic 20%, animist 9%, Protestant 6%, other/none 1%

HEALTH 6.7% of GDP

EDUCATION 5.5% of GDP (58th)

MILITARY 4% of GDP (17th)

PCVs 1967–1987, 1995–2017  CURRENT: 0, TTD: >2,100

Burkina Faso

The marché, or market, is fundamental to life in Burkina Faso. It's where you go to buy daily provisions, socialize, and hear the latest gossip-to see and be seen. Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina's second-largest city, features a large and lively central marché that vibrates with commerce and camaraderie, but smaller markets and roadside vendors are also commonplace throughout the country. On a quiet Sunday morning, this marché shows off the beauty of Bobo-Dioulasso's tree-lined streets, relaxed urban life, and community culture.
Caroline Chambre Hammock
© 2021
PCV Burkina Faso 2002-2004 Community Health Development 




​Adult Books

The Bridge on the Drina
By Lauren Wilkinson

2019

Summary:

What if your sense of duty required you to betray the man you love? The protagonist struggles to choose between her honor and her heart in an enthralling espionage drama. Set during the Cold War, mostly in Burkina Faso, the story is about a brilliant Black woman who is an intelligence officer with the FBI. She joins a shadowy task force aimed at undermining the charismatic and revolutionary president of Burkina Faso whom she secretly admires. His Communist ideology has made him a target for American intervention. In the year that follows, the protagonist observes the president, seduces him, and ultimately has a hand in the coup that will bring him down. This debut novel knits together a gripping spy thriller, a heartbreaking family drama, and a passionate romance. It’s a face of the Cold War you've never seen before, just before Upper Volta’s (Burkina Faso’s) struggle to gain independence from the French.

​Kids' Books

The Librarian's Stories
By Susan Verde; illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Publisher: New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers; 2016.

Format: 40 pgs; col illus.

ISBN: 978-0-39917-258-8

Age Range: 4-8 yrs.

Summary:

As a child in Burkina Faso, Georgie and the other girls in her village had to walk for miles each day to collect water. This vibrant, engaging picture book sheds light on this struggle that continues all over the world today, instilling hope for a future when all children will have access to clean drinking water.

​Films

Film: Le Beurre et l'argent du beurre (Butter and the money from butter)
Genre:  Documentary
Director:Alidou Badini & Philippe Baqué
Release Date:  2007
Country: Burkina Faso, France
Run Time:  62 minutes

Synopsis:

An exploration into the trade process of Shea butter, from farms to the cosmetic industry: Fair trade is much in fashion today. The concept is to help the most underprivileged populations on our planet to emerge from this state, thanks to a fairer distribution of revenues. Shea butter is more and more appreciated in Europe. It is used in the cosmetic industry and as a cocoa substitute. Who profits from the money of the butter?

The film looks at how to help the most underprivileged populations on our planet emerge from this state thanks to a fairer distribution of revenues.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Beurre_et_l'argent_du_beurre


​Music

​Recipes

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