World Factbook
Burkina Faso
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green, with a five-pointed yellow star in the center meaning: red stands for the country's struggle for independence, green for hope and abundance, and yellow for the country's mineral wealth history: uses the colors of the Pan-African movement
Capital
name
Ouagadougou
etymology
Ouagadougou is a Francophone spelling of the native name "Wogodogo," which may come from the personal name "Waga" or "Woga" and the Dyula word "dugu," meaning "village"
time difference
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
12 22 N, 1 31 W
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
no
citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of Burkina Faso
dual citizenship recognized
yes
residency requirement for naturalization
10 years
Constitution
history
several previous; latest approved by referendum 2 June 1991, adopted 11 June 1991, temporarily suspended late October to mid-November 2014; initial draft of a new constitution to usher in the new republic was completed in January 2017 and a final draft was submitted to the government in December 2017; a constitutional referendum originally scheduled for adoption in March 2019 was postponed; on 1 March 2022 a transition charter was adopted, allowing military authorities to rule for three years and barring the transitional president from being an electoral candidate after the transition
amendment process
proposed by the president, by a majority of National Assembly membership, or by petition of at least 30,000 eligible voters submitted to the Assembly; passage requires at least three-fourths majority vote in the Assembly; failure to meet that threshold requires majority voter approval in a referendum; constitutional provisions on the form of government, the multiparty system, and national sovereignty cannot be amended
Country name
former
Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta
etymology
name translates as "Land of the Worthy Men," from the Dyula words burkina , or "worthy," and faso , which means "land" or literally "father village," from fa , or "father," and so , or "village"
local long form
none
local short form
Burkina Faso
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Burkina Faso
Independence
5 August 1960 (from France)
Legal system
civil law based on the French model and customary law
Government type
presidential republic
Judicial branch
highest court(s)
Supreme Court of Appeals or Cour de Cassation (consists of NA judges); Council of State (consists of NA judges); Constitutional Council or Conseil Constitutionnel (consists of the council president and 9 members)
subordinate courts
Appeals Court; High Court; first instance tribunals; district courts; specialized courts relating to issues of labor, children, and juveniles; village (customary) courts
judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court judge appointments mostly controlled by the president of Burkina Faso; judges have no term limits; Council of State judge appointment and tenure NA; Constitutional Council judges appointed by the president of Burkina Faso after a proposal from the minister of justice and the president of the National Assembly; judges appointed for 9-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 3 years
Executive branch
note
note: on 30 September 2022, a military junta led by TRAORE took power and ousted Transition President Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo DAMIBA
cabinet
prior to the 2022 coups and ad hoc suspension of laws and constitutional provisions, Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
chief of state
Transitional President Capt. Ibrahim TRAORE (since 30 September 2022)
election results
2020: Roch Marc Christian KABORE reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Roch Marc Christian KABORE (MPP) 57.9%, Eddie KOMBOIGO (CDP) 15.5%, Zephirin DIABRE (UPC) 12.5%, other 14.1%
head of government
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel OUEDRAOGO (since 9 December 2024)
most recent election date
22 November 2020
election/appointment process
prior to the 2022 coups and ad hoc suspension of laws and constitutional provisions, president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president with consent of the National Assembly
expected date of next election
were to be held by July 2024, but were delayed
National holiday
Republic Day, 11 December (1958)
note: commemorates the day that Upper Volta became an autonomous republic in the French Community
National color(s)
red, yellow, green
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Ruins of Loropéni (c); Ancient Ferrous Metallurgy Sites of Burkina Faso (c); W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (n); Royal Court of Tiébélé (c)
Political parties
Act Together African Democratic Rally/Alliance for Democracy and Federation or ADF/RDA Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP Convergence for Progress and Solidarity-Generation 3 or CPS-G3 Movement for the Future Burkina Faso or MBF National Convention for Progress or CNP New Era for Democracy or NTD Pan-African Alliance for Refoundation or APR Party for Democracy and Socialism/Metba or PDS/Metba Party for Development and Change or PDC Patriotic Rally for Integrity or RPI Peoples Movement for Progress or MPP Progressives United for Renewal or PUR Union for Progress and Reform or UPC Union for Rebirth - Sankarist Party or UNIR-PS
Legislative branch
note
note: a series of coups in 2022 led to the ad hoc suspension of laws and constitutional provisions, including the unicameral National Assembly; a military junta in 2022 appointed the 71-member Transnational Legislative Assembly (ALT); a Transitional Charter, adopted in October 2022, provided for a transitional period that was extended in May 2024 until July 2029
chamber name
Transitional Legislative Assembly (Assemblée législative de la transition)
number of seats
71
electoral system
proportional representation
legislature name
Parliament (Parlement)
legislative structure
unicameral
most recent election date
11/11/2022
expected date of next election
June 2029
percentage of women in chamber
18.3%
National anthem(s)
title
"Le Ditanye" (Anthem of Victory)
history
adopted 1974; also known as "Une Seule Nuit"(One Single Night) ; written by the country's former president, an avid guitar player
lyrics/music
Thomas SANKARA
National symbol(s)
white stallion
Administrative divisions
13 regions; Boucle du Mouhoun, Cascades, Centre, Centre-Est, Centre-Nord, Centre-Ouest, Centre-Sud, Est, Hauts-Bassins, Nord, Plateau-Central, Sahel, Sud-Ouest
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 667-1882
chancery
2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 332-5577
chief of mission
Ambassador Kassoum COULIBALY (since 24 July 2025)
email address and website
contact@burkina-usa.org https://burkina-usa.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
(226) 25-49-56-23
embassy
Secteur 15, Ouaga 2000, Avenue Sembene Ousmane, Rue 15.873, Ouagadougou
telephone
(226) 25-49-53-00
mailing address
2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440
chief of mission
Ambassador Joann M. LOCKARD (since 28 June 2024)
email address and website
AmembOuaga@state.gov https://bf.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU (suspended), CD, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSCA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction