Country of the Week: Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa. BASIC Burkina Faso is in West Africa. been president It is landlocked and surrounded since 2015. by six other countries. What are they? The capital and (Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte largest city is d’Ivoire.) The northern part of the country Ouagadougou— 12 is dry desert. The center of the country is wah-guh-DOO- savannah. From the photo, what kind goo. Burkina Faso is one of the world’s of land is savannah? (Flat grassland, poorest countries, and many people do not without trees.) The southern part of the have enough food. Eighty percent of the country is green forest. Burkina Faso population makes a living by raising livestock has more than 140 species of mammals, and growing crops to feed their families. including one of the largest populations of What is the woman in this picture selling? elephants in West Africa. (Peanuts.) Burkina Faso also has valuable More than 20 million people live in Burkina resources. The main products that are sold Faso. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré has to other countries are gold and cotton. NEXT GENERAL Burkina Faso is a endangered animals in Africa with only 70 landlocked country in West left in the wild, is native to the country. Africa. What six countries surround it? Burkina Faso has a population of more (Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte than 20 million. The capital and largest d’Ivoire.) The northernmost part of the city, Ouagadougou—wah-guh-DOO-goo— country is part of the Sahel, or the dry has about 2 million people. The official area that borders the desert that covers language is French. The leader of the the north part of Africa. What desert is country, President Roch Marc Christian this? (The Sahara.) Below the Sahel, the Kaboré, has been in charge since 2015. savannah covers much of the middle of Burkina Faso is a very poor country, and the country. What is savannah? (Flat many people experience food insecurity. grassland with few trees.) The southern What does this mean? (They do not have part of the country is green and forested. enough healthy food to eat.) Most people The country was once known as Upper make their living through subsistence Volta because of the three main rivers that agriculture. What is this? (Farmers grow run through it, which are called the Black food to feed their families, and sell any Volta, the White Volta, and the Red Volta. extra.) This woman is selling one of the The country has 147 different mammals, country’s main crops. What is it? (Peanuts.) including elephants, lions, and giraffes. Burkina Faso’s two biggest exported The West African Wild Dog, one of the most products are gold and cotton. NEXT ADVANCED Burkina Faso is a landlocked arid transitional area below the Sahara country in West Africa. It Desert.) The central part of the country is about the size of the state of Colorado, is savannah. The south is the most green with a population of more than 20 million. and fertile, with forested areas. Only about 30 percent of Burkinabés— About 40 percent of the population lives burr-KEE-nah-bays—as citizens of the below the poverty line, and it’s estimated country are known, live in urban areas. The that 1.5 million children there are at risk capital and largest city, Ouagadougou—— for food insecurity. What are some of the wah-guh-DOO-goo—has about 2 million causes of this? (The country is landlocked; people. President Roch Marc Christian much of the land is arid; the population is Kaboré has been in power since 2015. growing rapidly and is mostly rural, limiting Burkina Faso was once known as Upper access to healthcare, and so on.) About Volta. This name derives from the three 80 percent of the population practices rivers that cross the country: The Black subsistence agriculture and raising Volta, Red Volta, and White Volta. The livestock. Many, like the woman in this Black Volta forms part of the border with picture, sell crops like peanuts, sorghum, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire and is one of and millet. Gold is Burkina Faso’s top only two rivers in the country that flows export, and cotton is the largest export all year long. The northern part of the crop. How can the government help the country is the Sahel. What is this? (The people share the country’s wealth? NEXT 12 NewsCurrents Week of March 30, 2020 Copyright 2020 Knowledge Unlimited Country of the Week: Burkina Faso (cont'd) Burkina Fasso is a diverse society, but the Mossi make up about half of the population BASIC Burkina Faso was a colony like animals of France beginning in the and painted late 1800s. In 1960, the country became red, white, independent. The country had many and black. different leaders. In 1983, a man named What does it Thomas Sankara became president. He put look like to laws in place that led to better education, you? About healthcare, and women’s rights. He was 60 percent 13 popular with the people, but some of those of the population is Muslim and one- in power did not like him, and he was killed quarter is Christian. This building is a in 1987. What were the most important mosque, or Muslim house of worship. What things that Thomas Sankara did? do you think it is made of? (Mud and About half the people in Burkina Faso wood.) The wooden sticks in the walls are come from an ethnic group called the Mossi. used by workers to climb the walls when The Mossi are known for their wooden they need to repair the building. What else masks. Some, like this one, are made to look do you notice about this mosque? END GENERAL The Mossi people make up enemies, and in 1987, he was assassinated about half of the population in a coup led by his former friend, Blaise of Burkina Faso, but there are about 60 other Campaoré. Campaoré ruled the country for ethnic groups in the country. The Mossi are the next 27 years. Why do you think especially known for their wooden masks. the people viewed Sankara as a hero? These masks are used at funerals and other The country’s official language is French, important events. These wooden masks depict but there are more than 60 other languages animals, painted in red, black, and white. spoken in Burkina Faso. About 60 percent of What animal does this look like to you? the people follow Islam, and 23 percent are In the late 1800s, France defeated the Christian. The building on the lower left is a Mossi, and in 1919, established the colony mosque, or house of worship for Muslims. It is of French Upper Volta. The country gained an example of Sudano-Sahelian architectural its independence in 1960. But after it style. What is this building made of? (Mud became independent, the unrest continued. and wood.) The wooden sticks on the outside In 1983, the government was overthrown of the building are a feature of this style and Thomas Sankara became the president. of architecture. They also serve a purpose: Sankara improved healthcare, education, workers use them to climb the building and women’s rights. He was very popular, when it needs to be repaired. What else especially with the poor. But he made some do you notice about this mosque? END ADVANCED Burkina Faso is an means “Land of Incorruptible People.” He ethnically diverse society. was very popular, especially among the The Mossi people make up about 50 poor, but he made enemies among the percent of the population. The country is middle class and their French allies. Why known for their beautiful wooden masks. do you think this was? (He redistributed In the southwest, the Mossi carve masks land and resources to the people and took that resemble animals. These masks are power away from the wealthy.) In 1987, used in rituals and important events, he was assassinated in a coup led by his like funerals. What do you think is the former friend, Blaise Compaoré, who went significance of the animal design? ( on to lead the country for 27 years. France colonized the area beginning in About 60 percent of the people are Muslim. the late 19th century. In 1960 it gained The Grand Mosque, or Old Mosque, in its independence and was renamed Upper Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso’s second- Volta. In 1983, Thomas Sankara became largest city, was built around 1893. It president, following a coup. Sankara was is a good example of Sudano-Sahelian a Marxist leader who instituted a series of architecture, using rounded shapes and reforms, such as planting 10 million trees local materials. The wooden stakes are to stop desertification, implementing mass decorative and functional. What purpose vaccination programs, and improving do they serve? (They support the structure literacy and women’s rights. Sankara and workers climb them to make repairs.) renamed the country Burkina Faso, which END Copyright 2020 Knowledge Unlimited Week of March 30, 2020 NewsCurrents 13