Burkina Faso

[ber-kee-nuh fah-soh]

noun

1. a republic in western Africa: formerly part of French West Africa. 106,111 sq. mi. (274,827 sq. km). Ouagadougou.

Burkina Faso

/ bɜːˈkiːnəˈfæsəʊ /

noun

1. Former name (until 1984): Upper Volta. an inland republic in W Africa: dominated by Mossi kingdoms (10th–19th centuries); French protectorate established in 1896; became an independent republic in 1960; consists mainly of a flat savanna plateau. Official language: French; Mossi and other African languages also widely spoken. Religion: mostly animist, with a large Muslim minority. Currency: franc. Capital: Ouagadougou. Pop: 17 812 961 (2013 est). Area: 273 200 sq km (105 900 sq miles)

Burkina Faso

1. Republic in west Africa, formerly called Upper Volta, bordered by Niger to the north and east, Benin on the southeast, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast on the south, and Mali on the west and north. Its capital and largest city is Ouagadougou. Burkina Faso gained independence from France in 1960.

Example Sentences

Burkina Faso's military government, which emerged from a September 2022 coup led by Captain Ibrahim Traore, has regularly been accused of repressing figures the junta considers hostile.

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Islamist militants still severely impact large swathes of Burkina Faso and Mali, imposing roadblocks, launching attacks and cutting off supply lines as they expand their decade-long presence, according to residents' testimonies.

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More than 20,000 people have been killed in Nigeria, but Mali and Burkina Faso have borne the brunt, accounting for 56 percent of the region's victims.

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A detailed AFP tour of the region revealed that the military has succeeded in limiting incursions by militant fighters operating from Burkina Faso, across the long border.

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The Foreign Ministry has turned its attention to Africa, to open up embassies in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe.

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