Burkina Faso

American  

[ber-kee-nuh fah-soh] / bərˈki nə ˈfɑ soʊ /

noun

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

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Burkina Faso British  

/ 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)

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Burkina Faso Cultural  

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.

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Example Sentences

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso left Ecowas after military coups brought their armies to power.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

Mali's rulers, like their military counterparts in neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, have severed ties with former colonial ruler France and several Western countries, moving closer to Russia.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

In the nearly two years since, Burkina Faso and Mali have lost ground.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

The country has largely escaped the jihadist violence that regularly hits neighbours Burkina Faso and Mali.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

“You don’t know America. You say Senegal and American people, they say, Where is that? My friend from Burkina Faso, they ask her, your country in Latin America?”

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie