Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta), shaped like a pair of welder's goggles, sits at the edge of the Sahel, locked in by Benin, Togo and Ghana to the southeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the south, Mali to the west and Niger to the north. At about twice the size of Colorado, it's one of the smallest territories in West Africa but one of the most heavily populated. Distribution is uneven and sketchy; large tracts of land in the north are almost deserted, while the south and central regions are bursting at the seams.
Most of Burkina is flat, arid and scrubby. To the north the vegetation thins out to sandy dunes as it approaches the Sahara. Conversely, the south opens up into forests and sugar cane fields and in the east there are rolling plateaus and green woodlands. The three major rivers of Burkina Faso, the Mahoun (Black Volta), Nazinon (Red Volta) and Nakanbe (White Volta), drain the central plateau in a southerly and easterly direction respectively. The rivers are something of a curate's egg. Although they provide water in a country wracked by droughts, they're also a source of onchocerciasis or river blindness.
Deforestation and desertification are a major threat to Burkina Faso, brought about through an unholy combination of drought, rapid population growth, overgrazing, and severe economic woes. The result is a 70km (43mi) swathe of land around the capital city, Ouagadougou, that's completely devoid of trees. The land has been picked clean as a bone by residents using the wood as their prime energy source. Some parks and reserves have survived this onslaught. Throughout the major national parks you can still see elephants, hippopotamuses, buffalo, antelope and crocodiles.
The climate in Burkina Faso is similar to other Sahel countries with two distinct seasons. The dry season lasts from November through to May, and the wet season from June through to October. The hottest time of the year is between March and June, and dusty Harmattan winds blow incessantly between December and February, turning the landscape hazy and unphotogenic and people sour and irritable.
Much of Burkina Faso is populated by descendants of the Mossi empire, founded when a band of horsemen from nearby Ghana galloped through at the turn of the 15th century. Unlike other African countries that governed through non-hierarchical village systems, the Mossi organised a blue-blooded empire that even The Firm at Windsor Castle would be hard pressed to match. They developed courts of law, administrative bodies, ministerial positions, and a cavalry to protect the realm. The later proved to be critical in resisting the hostile advances of their Muslim neighbours and explains why, even today, Burkina Faso is one of the few West African countries that's not predominantly Muslim.
Things remained relatively stable in Upper Volta (as it was then known) until the French began nosing around in 1897. Having already moved into the neighbourhood, they decided to bring a little imperial je ne s'ais quoi to the area by subdividing the region more times than an acre block in Manhattan. Bits of Upper Volta were given away to Mali, Niger and Côte d'Ivoire with all the sang-froid of a generous thief. The final nail in the coffin was the blackbirding of natives from Upper Volta to work on French plantations in neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire. For the next 60 years Côte d'Ivoire remained the precious princess of the region and Upper Volta the poor and ugly second cousin.
When outright colonisation finally started to lose its sex appeal in the middle of the 20th century, Upper Volta was one of the most vocal in calling for the return of independence. In 1960, Maurice Yaméogo, himself a Mossi, was elected as the countries first president. Unfortunately Yaméogo confused electoral success with a mandate to do as he pleased. A set of disastrous economic policies, coupled with a liberal attitude toward corruption, led to riots and demonstrations by the general populace. In 1966, a military-led coup ousted Yaméogo from office for, among other things, feathering his own nest with public funds.The power vacuum created by Yaméogo's absence ushered in nearly two decades of coups and counter coups, culminating in Captain Thomas Sankara, a young left-wing socialist, taking over the reins.
Sankara turned out to be something of a maverick. Showing a flair for the public flourish, he renamed the country Burkina Faso (which translates as 'country of honest men' or 'country of the incorruptibles'), and immediately set about implementing a set of radical socialist policies. In blitzkrieg style, he immunised every child against measles and yellow fever, trained home-grown doctors for every rural village, built over 350 schools, reduced ministerial privileges and overspending, started building a railway line to the Niger border, and painted Ouagadougou a non-Marxist white. These unabashedly socialist policies made him a hero to the general populace but did nothing for his standing among the elite. There was a collective intake of breath in the well-to-do circles when he slashed ministerial salaries by 25%, and tribal leaders worried that his habit of consultation with the people at a grass roots level undermined their traditional authority.
Western countries, too, did a fair bit of brow-furrowing and hand wringing over Sankar's friendship with Gaddafi - that and the fact that he was never shy about denouncing western imperialism. Predictably, he didn't last long. In an et tu Brutus moment, Sankara's comrade and close advisor, Captain Blaise Campaoré, staged a successful coup that ended with Sankara being taken to a spot outside Ouagadougou and shot. Campaoré immediately restored the status quo, reinstating government salaries to pre-Sankara levels and cutting food subsidies. But these measures have only emphasised a feeling of malaise in Burkinabé society. The disgruntled citizens miss Sankara, the United States are miffed over Burkina Faso's chummy relationship with Liberia, Campaoré is under siege by a population stirred up over the death of journalist Norbet Zongo, and there appears to be a general lack of direction in the government.
Each ethnic group has its own artistic style but the art of the Mossi, Bobo and Lobi are the most famous. The Mossi are known for their antelope masks; impressively tall masks over 2m (7ft) high painted in red or white. The masks are usually worn at funerals and when guarding certain fruits. The Bobo make large butterfly masks, painted in stripes of red, white and black, that are used to invoke the deity Do in fertility ceremonies. The Bobo actually have an entire zoos-worth of animal masks but the butterfly masks are the only ones worn horizontally. The Lobi have one of the best preserved traditions in Africa, including the dyoro initiation rites for young boys. Lobi art, especially the wood carvings which protect the family, are highly valued.
Burkina Faso has led the way in the renaissance of African art and culture. The FESPACO Film Festival, occuring every two years, had a humble beginning in 1969 but has since grown to become a chic West African version of Hollywood's independent cine scene, without the pouting next-biggest-thing, air kissing executives, and frenzied bidding wars. A different cultural festival, occurring in the non-FESPACO years, covers other artistic pursuits - music, dancing and theatre. As an adjunct to this, Burkina Faso hosts the continent's largest craft market.
Gourmands who believe that solid food is only necessary because the sauce has to go on something will love the food in Burkina Faso; everything comes with sauce. It's a bit weird, really, when you consider Burkina Faso's French connections but the fact is you get sauce with everything: sauce with rice (riz sauce), vegetable sauce with rice (riz gras), a fish-based sauce (sauce de poisson), sauce with beef and eggplant (boeuf sauce aubergine) and sauce with mutton and tomatoes (mouton sauce tomatoe). In rural areas, bush rat (with or without sauce) is considered a delicacy.
Events
If you're in Burkina Faso in an odd-numbered year, don't miss the FESPACO film festival. Ouagadougou tarts itself up and puts on its metaphorical lippy to host this festival that showcases up-and-coming West African film makers. Though none of the participants have Spielbergian fame, a number of FESPACO-winning directors have gone on to collect awards in the more prestigious categories of the Cannes Film Festival. The festival usually begins the last Saturday in February. In even-numbered years Burkina Faso's second largest city, Bobo-Dioulasso, hosts La Semaine Nationale de la Culture. Both traditional and contemporary forms of music, dance, and theatre, meet and mix in this week long cultural extravaganza. It begins the last week in April.
Every Friday morning, the Moro-Naba emerges from his palace in scarlet robes and, with due pomp and circumstance, re-enacts what in French is lyrically called la cérémonie du Nabayius Gou and in English, somewhat more phlegmatically, 'the false departure of the emperor.' In a nutshell, the story is of a Mossi emperor who mounted his horse preparatory to going off to war, changed his mind, dismounted, and re-entered the palace. It seems a rather ignominious moment to immortalise by daily repeats, but there are nuances and subtleties to the story, and to a Burkinabé it symbolises the survival struggle of the Mossi monarchy.
Money & Costs
Currency:West African CFA franc (CFA)
Relative costs:
- Budget meal: US$1-2
- Moderate restaurant meal: US$3-5
- Top-end restaurant meal: US$7-10
- Budget room: US$3-7
- Moderate hotel: US$25-35
- Top-end hotel: US$70-120
Burkina Faso's currency, the West African franc (CFA), is fixed against the Euro dollar. A recent fire-sale devaluation of the CFA has made the French-speaking countries of West Africa a cheap destination option. For as little as US$15 a day you can get a decent room (albeit with shared bathroom facilities), clean sheets and a foursquare meal from one of the local hole-in-the-wall diners. If you want to be closer to the centre of the city, are looking for airconditioned rooms, swimming pools, and a bit of ambience with your meal, you'll be paying about US$60 a day. Fancy hotels and French cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner will set you back about US$150-200 a day.
Changing travellers cheques in Burkina Faso is a relatively easy affair and it's now possible to withdraw cash with a credit card at most major banks. Unusually for an African bank, both the Banque Internationale du Burkina and the Banque Internationale pour le Commerce L'Industrie et l'Agriculture charge no commission, so it's a good idea if you're travelling on to another West African country to change money before you leave Burkina Faso.
Tipping in Africa is a grey area. It's tied to the notion of a gift or cadeau, which roughly translates into the western idea of noblesse oblige, with wealthier citizens obligated to those less well off. Since all westerners (with the possible exception of hitchhikers and backpackers) appear to be rich, a tip is not out of order in most instances. A standard 10% is a reasonable tip. Check the bills in restaurants to ensure that a 10% service charge has not already been added on.
Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou (or Ouaga), lies smack bang in the middle of the country, standing at the crossroads of several ancient trade routes. It's more a large country town than a megalopolis; the core central area is easily covered on foot. There's not a hell of a lot to see, or visit, in Ouagadougou but what it lacks in epic monuments and grand buildings it makes up for in wide, shady boulevards, a relaxed atmosphere and friendly smiles. Burkinabés are gregarious people, always ready for a laugh and a chat over coffee, and hospitality is one of the city's trademarks. Unlike many other Sahelian cities, Ouagadougou is not predominantly Muslim so it's also got a lively nightclub scene.
Aimless ambling is a pleasant pastime in Ouagadougou but if you need a destination to hang your hat on, visit the National Museum. Restructuring is under way but entry is still possible. Traditional masks, pottery pieces, and other paraphernalia from the major ethnic groups are on display. The cathedral, near the Moro-Naba Palace, is the largest church in the interior of the West Africa. Ouagadougou's Grande Marché is always worth a visit. It's in the centre of town and has a number of great stalls upstairs.
The main trading centre is inside a triangle, with the train station at the northern point, the Presidential Palace at the eastern point and the cathedral at the southern point. Nelson Mandela Avenue bisects the top half of the triangle before terminating at a large roundabout, the Place des Nations Unies. Most of the major streets branch off from the roundabout like spokes on a wheel. Places to stay and eat are scattered evenly throughout the triangle.
Bobo-Dioulasso, home to the Bobo people, is another laid-back friendly city. It's even smaller and easier to negotiate than Ouagadougou but has the same airy boulevards, tree-lined streets and thriving market places.
The Musée Provincial du Houëthoused in a Sudanese-style building, has two sets of exhibitions; one showcasing modern African art, batik, and sculpture, and the other exhibiting traditional art of the region. For a touch of French class, check out the Centre Culturel Français Henri Matisse. It's got shady trees, magazines, and comfy chairs; everything you need for a time-out from travelling. The most impressive of Bobo's buildings is the Grande Mosquée. It's built out of mud in traditional Sudanese style, and for an exhorbitant price the caretaker will take you on a guided tour; less if you just want to see the inside which is the most interesting section anyway. The old Kibidwé district is full of artisans artisaning (mostly potters and blacksmiths) and is well worth exploring.
Bobo is about 300km (186mi) to the south of Ouagadougou and is easily accessible; flights leave Ouagadougou four times a week, trains leave three times a week, and buses leave daily. Bush taxis and minibuses also travel down to Bobo from Ouagadougou, but are slightly more expensive than the buses.
The Parc National d'Arli, in the southwest corner of Burkina Faso, was created in the 1950s in an attempt to stem the environmental effects of desertification and deforestation. Although Arli Park itself is rather small, it actually runs into two other reserves, Singou and Pama, creating a vast expanse of savanna crisscrossed by the impressive cliffs of Tambarga and Gobnangou. There's a smorgasbord of fauna to choose from - antelopes, baboons, gazelles, monkeys, warthogs, hippopotamus - but the real stars of the show are the elephants and lions. The lions are free-range, though, so nix the idea of a stroll around the park at dusk.
The park's main accommodation is an attractive lodge but they've got you over a bit of a barrel, money-wise. A room and a meal will cost in the vicinity of US$50. Alternatively, you can camp near the hotel or stay at the less expensive Chez Madame Bonazza in nearby Pama. This French-named, Italian-owned, West African location offers reasonable accomodation and a good nosh up.
If you're getting there under your own steam, take the Ouaga-Niamey highway 389 km (241mi) east to Kantchari, turn south toward Diapaga, and then southwest to the entrance to Arli Park. The leg from Daipaga to Arli is about a 130km (80mi) drive. Alternatively, you can catch the bus from Ouagadougou to Diapaga or Namounou, and then hitch to Arli.
Downtown Banfora is a bustling hive of inactivity - two main streets with a petrol station, a bank and two dogs deciding which tree to sleep under. But the surrounding countryside is some of the best in Burkina Faso, and it's a great jumping off point for any number of hiking and biking possibilities.
Karfiguéla waterfalls are interesting all year round but really hit their straps in the rainy season. After the unrelenting dryness of much of the rest of Burkina Faso, the waterfalls are a welcome change. There is a bit of a bilharzia problem, so swimming in the pools below the waterfalls can be risky, and you'll need to bring your own water during the dry season because the water gets too dirty to drink. The Dômes de Karfiguéla, an escarpment-type formation, not far from the waterfall, is good hiking grounds. Ten kilometres (6mi) beyond the waterfalls is Lake Tengreacute;la, a pleasant spot to stop and stretch your legs. The fishermen from the nearby village will be more than willing to take you out in their pirogues, for a couple of dollars (and some hard-nosed bargaining), to get a closer look at the bird life. A little further on from the lake are the seriously weird Sindou rock formations. They're like playdough sculptures - towering, tipsy, and stuck to the floor with lopsided ingenuity.
Getting from Ouagadougou is a matter of catching the built-for-comfort train straight through to Banfora (if it's not the express to Abidjan), or catching the train to Bobo and then getting a bus or bush taxi the extra 80km (50mi). The best way of getting around the outlying district of Banfora is by mobylette, bicycle, or motorcycle, which can be hired for the day.
Gorom-Gorom
Gorom-Gorom, in the northeast of Burkina Faso, is a typical Sahelian town, with its edges smudged into a sea of sand dunes and wide windswept spaces. This is where civilisation runs out of puff. From here on in it's all lonely desert dunes and whistling silences. The accommodation in Gorom-Gorom is traditional Sudanese style, so it's easy to immerse yourself in the ambience of Sahelian life. The largely nomadic population are mainly Tuaregs (or 'blue men of the desert'), Peuls, Maures, and Songhaïs.
The Gorom market is unquestionably the most colourful and interesting in Burkina Faso, if not the Sahel, and may well be the country's largest. The mixing and melding of the different Sahelian and Saharian ethnic groups make it a sight worth seeing. There's Tuareg herders in indigo robes; Peul herders and Songhaï farmers in bright yellow and red turbans; Peul women with brightly couloured boubous (robes), intricately braided, beaded, and bejewelled hairdos, and large silver and gold hooped earrings. The men wear richly decorated leather belts and elaborate silver swords. And that's without even beginning to describe the intriguing desert food and desert crafts for sale.
Gorom-Gorom is about 290km (180mi) north east of Ouagadougou and can be reached by bus or bushtaxi/minibus.
If you're on your way to Dogon country in Mali, make a pit stop at Ouahigouya in the north. It's another typical Burkina Faso town; a laid-back, spread out place that's easy to get around during the day, and jumping at night.
If you're in the area after Ramadan, head for Ramatouyale, 25km (15mi) east of Ouahigouya, for the pilgrimage to the local mosque that marks the end of the fasting period. In Ouahigouya you'll also find the Maison du Naba Kango, home of the head nob of the Yatengo kingdom. The Yatengo were chief rivals of the Mossi back in the good old precolonial days, and although the traditional mud compound appears modest by western standards, don't be fooled. It still has enough room for the naba's 30 or so wives, several granaries, and, the simply must-have accessory for every self-respecting naba, a 'fetish' room. No one, not even the naba's children, knows what's in the fetish room. Travellers can do a meet-and-greet with the naba, as long as they come bearing gifts. Note that money is considered a gift.
Ouahigouya is about 160km (99mi) from Ouagadougou. Bush taxis,cars, and mini buses leave from main depots at regular intervals.
Getting There & Away
Direct flights from Europe to Ouagadougou airport leave from Paris and Brussels. If you're flying in from the USA you'll have to transfer at Paris, Dakar or Abidjan. The airport is only about 20km (12mi) from the city centre and you can usually get a taxi or bus from the terminus.
Because Burkina Faso is landlocked, getting in and out of the country by land is usually fairly cheap and the options are plentiful. Buses and vans are called cars in Burkina Faso, and they run with admirable frequency from Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Niger, Togo and Mali. Bushtaxis and minibuses also do the same inter-country trips but you may find you have to get out at the borders, cross, and pick up another one on the other side. Minibuses are often 25% cheaper than the Peugot 504 bush taxis. There's a train between Côte d'Ivoire and Ouagadougou that leaves three times a week. Prices are on a par with bus fares. Driving your own car in and out of the country is fairly easy, and generally speaking the roads are in fairly good condition.
Facts at a Glance
Environment
History
Economic Profile
Culture
Facts for the Traveller
When to Go
Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Activities
Getting Around
Recommended Reading
Lonely Planet Guides
Travellers' Reports
On-line Info
