Formerly called the Republic of Upper Volta, the country was renamed “Burkina Faso” on 4 August 1984 meaning – land of the upright/honest people. It is a landlocked country surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north; Niger to the east; Benin to the southeast; Togo and Ghana to the south; and Ivory Coast to the southwest.
| Summary statistics | |
|---|---|
| Region | Western Africa |
| Surface area (sq km) | 274200 |
| Population (est., 000) | 17322 |
| Pop. density (per sq km) | 57.4 |
| Capital city | Ouagadougou |
| Capital city pop. (000) | 1450 |
| Currency | West African CFA Franc (XOF) |
Most Recent Incident. 15th Jan. 2016
Heavily armed gunmen attack the Cappuccino restaurant and the Splendid Hotel in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Estimated total number of of fatalities reached 29,with at least 56 wounded. Three attackers were also killed in the incident. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al-Mourabitoun.
Facts and Figures.