Burkina Faso — Capital, Flag and Country Facts

Explore Burkina Faso: capital Ouagadougou, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.

Burkina Faso is in Africa. Its capital is Ouagadougou.

Climate

Tropical; warm dry winters and hot wet summers

Mostly flat to dissected peneplain; hills in the west and southeast; Sahel in the north

Burkina Faso means "Land of Honest People" in local languages.

FESPACO in Ouagadougou is Africa's largest and most prestigious film festival.

Thomas Sankara, known as "Africa's Che Guevara," transformed the country during his brief rule from 1983 to 1987.

1100: Mossi kingdoms established as dominant political entities

1896: France conquers the Mossi kingdoms and establishes colonial rule

1960: Independence from France as Upper Volta under Maurice Yaméogo

1984: Thomas Sankara renames the country Burkina Faso (Land of Honest People)

1987: Blaise Compaoré seizes power in a coup; rules for 27 years

2022: Second military coup in eight months; Ibrahim Traoré takes power