Burkina faso fakta

The unique sandy cones have been shaped by the elements over millions of years. With a Global Terrorism Index (GTI) score of 8.581 in 2025, it faces the highest recorded impact from terrorism globally.

25. The capital city, Ouagadougou, is a French adaptation of the native name “Wogodogo,” meaning “where people get honour and respect”.

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A landlocked country is entirely surrounded by land with no access to open sea.

2. Travelers requiring specific medicines should bring an adequate supply for the duration of their stay in Burkina Faso.

Malaria is a serious risk to travelers in Burkina Faso and can be fatal. Built in 1893, the mosque is an exceptional example of Sahel-style mud architecture.

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This is largely due to Burkina Faso’s position in the Sahel region of West Africa. Sankara, an accomplished guitarist, even wrote Burkina Faso’s national anthem himself.

17. Thomas Sankara, who ruled Burkina Faso for four years from 1983, is known as the “African Che Guevara” due to his radical left-wing policies and mysterious death in 1987.

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According to the UK Foreign Office, Burkina Faso is one of 17 countries deemed to be entirely unsafe for tourists to visit.

10. Some rural roads are impassible in the rainy season. You may be taken in for questioning if you do not have your passport with you. Sankara’s deputy, Blaise Compaoré, took over and ruled Burkina Faso for 27 years before being ousted in a popular uprising in 2014.

The al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorist organization and their affiliates could therefore target Westerners in Burkina Faso, especially in the regions of the north near Mali and Niger.

Ouagadougou occasionally experiences demonstrations and civil unrest. Burkina Faso is also home to the Grande Mosquée in Bobo-Dioulasso.

In 1919, Upper Volta became a separate constituent territory of French West Africa and then an autonomous republic within the French Community in 1958.

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15. Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa.

Crime

As a result, terrorist groups have stepped up their rhetoric calling for additional attacks or kidnappings against Westerners, particularly against those countries which support international military intervention in Mali. Roadside banditry and other violent crimes sometimes occur in Burkina Faso, especially in remote and border areas. He was one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders.

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Vehicles will often enter oncoming traffic to pass or maneuver around obstacles. Before colonisation, Burkina Faso was ruled by the Mossi who arrived in the region between the 11th to the 13th centuries and ruled until the end of the 19th.

4. As well as military coups, Burkina Faso has suffered from recurring droughts, particularly during the 1970s when drought caused a serious famine and killed an estimated 100,000 people by 1973.

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It is best to check the Embassy website for the latest security information before setting out on your journey.

Perpetrators of business fraud often target foreigners, including U.S. citizens.