← THE SECTION CUT · AFRICA

Burkina Faso

13.0N 2.0W · 29 EVENTS · 9 DOMAINS
INDEPENDENCE FROM FRANCE · 5 AUGUST 1960
▼ PULL DOWN TO EXTRACT THE CORE
1987–present · Compaoré, Uprising and the Sahel Insurgency
6 EVENTS
December 1998 · Murder of Norbert Zongo 2 REFS
30–31 October 2014 · Popular uprising ousts Compaoré 2 REFS
1983–1987 · Sankara's Revolution and the Birth of Burkina Faso
8 EVENTS
25 November – 10 December 1984 · The 'vaccination commando' campaign 3 REFS
15 October 1987 · Assassination of Thomas Sankara 3 REFS
1960–1983 · Independence and the Cycle of Coups
5 EVENTS
5 August 1960 · Independence of Upper Volta 3 REFS
January 1966 · Fall of Yaméogo; Lamizana takes power 3 REFS
1896–1958 · Conquest and the Colony of Upper Volta
4 EVENTS
1896 · French conquest of the Mossi 2 REFS
1 March 1919 · Colony of Upper Volta created 2 REFS
c. 11th–19th century · Loropéni and the Gold Frontier
3 EVENTS
14th–17th century · Loropéni's gold-trade fortresses flourish 2 REFS
early 19th century · Loropéni settlement abandoned 2 REFS
c. 15th–18th century · The Mossi Kingdoms
3 EVENTS
15th century (traditional) · Foundation of the Mossi states 3 REFS
c. 1498 · Songhai campaigns against the Mossi 3 REFS
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EVERY ERA, EVENT AND REFERENCE ON ONE PAGE
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Quick facts · atlas reference
Capital
Ouagadougou
Population
20 m
Area
272,967 km²
Region
Western Africa
Languages
French
Currency
West African CFA franc (Fr)
Demonym
Burkinabe
UN member
Yes
Dossier · press a specimen — it turns over

Economy

GDP
$28 B’25 WB-WDI
GDP per capita
$1,148’25 WB-WDI
GDP growth
5.3%’25 WB-WDI
Inflation
-0.6%’25 WB-WDI
Trade openness
65.0%’25 WB-WDI

Society

Population
24 m’25 WB-WDI
Life expectancy
61.3 yrs’24 WB-WDI
Urban population
28.9%’25 WB-WDI
Fertility rate
4.1’24 WB-WDI
Literacy rate
41.6%’23 WB-WDI

Governance

Voice & accountability
40.0’24 WB-WGI
Political stability
33.3’24 WB-WGI
Government effectiveness
34.3’24 WB-WGI
Regulatory quality
46.6’24 WB-WGI
Rule of law
41.8’24 WB-WGI
Control of corruption
42.7’24 WB-WGI

Health

Health spending
7.8%’23 WB-WHO
Physicians
0.15’22 WB-WHO
Under-5 mortality
74.9’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO
Measles immunisation
88.0%’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO

Education

Adult literacy
41.6%’23 WB-UNESCO
Education spending
5.3%’23 WB-UNESCO
Primary enrolment
77.2%’24 WB-UNESCO
Secondary enrolment
30.0%’24 WB-UNESCO
Tertiary enrolment
10.0%’24 WB-UNESCO

Technology

R&D spending
0.1%’24 WB-UNESCO
Researchers (per million)
47’10 WB-UNESCO
Internet users
28.3%’24 WB-ITU
Mobile subscriptions
117’24 WB-ITU
High-tech exports
1.6%’24 WB-WDI

Geography

Land area
273,600 km²’23 WB-WDI
Forest area
22.2%’23 WB-WDI
Agricultural land
53.4%’23 WB-WDI
CO₂ per capita (t)
0.3’24 WB-WDI
Renewable energy
71.4%’22 WB-WDI

Resources

Resource rents
20.1%’21 WB-WDI
Oil rents
0.0%’21 WB-WDI
Mineral rents
15.5%’21 WB-WDI
Forest rents
4.7%’21 WB-WDI
Electricity access
34.0%’24 WB-WDI

Military

Military burden
4.7%’24 WB-SIPRI
Defense spending
$1.0 B’24 WB-SIPRI
Armed forces
11,000’20 WB-SIPRI

A hatched gap has no underside — there is nothing to turn over. Absence is stated, never zeroed.

The record · what changed here
EVERY CLAIM SOURCED
ABSENCE ≠ ZERO
NO SIDES