Burkina Faso is one of the most culturally vibrant and diverse countries in Africa. With some 60 ethnic groups, many still practising traditional customs, it is a country ripe for exploration of its towns and villages amidst some beautiful natural scenery. The market at Gorom Gorom is one of the best in West Africa, with a huge variety of products and a colourful mix of traders. Burkina Faso is also a great location to experience contemporary African culture with the cities of Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso some of the best spots to hear West African music. Explore in depth highlights of Burkina Faso.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
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| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT 0 (Greenwich mean time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | French | Other languages: Dioula, Mossi |
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| Currency: |
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) €1 = CAF655, $1 = CAF0.00, £1 = CAF781 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .bf | International Dialling Code: 226 |
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For help planning your trip to Burkina Faso including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Burkina Faso trip planning page.
Further information on Burkina Faso
Discover more about Burkina Faso - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 274,200 sq km (400 sq km under water)
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Neighbours (border lengths): Benin (306km), Ghana (549km), Ivory Coast (584km), Mali (1,000km), Niger (628km), Togo (126km)
Climate: Tropical climate with hot, wet summers and rainy season between June and October and warm, dry winters between November and May.
Highest mountain: Tena Kourou (749m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Burkina Faso from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Partly Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Hybrid regime | 114/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Mostly Unfree | 102/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Satisfactory situation | 45/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | Limited rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | Medium corruption | 85/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 111/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Status: Independent Country
Population: 18,365,123 (rank: 59/196) Density: 66.9 people/sq km (rank: 114/196)
Ethnic groups: Mossi over 40%, other approximately 60% (includes Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, and Fulani)
Religions: Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%
GDP (PPP): $26.51 billion GDP per capita: $1,500 (rank: 171/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.