Culture
Category : Burkina Faso

1) General culture

Education
 

Adjusted savings: education expenditure > % of GNI

2.38 % of GNI

[144th of 168]

Children out of school, primary

1,201,992

[3rd of 126]

Duration of compulsory education

10 years

[57th of 171]

Duration of education > Primary level

6

[103rd of 181]

Duration of education > Secondary level

7

[53rd of 181]

Education enrolment by level > Tertiary level

16,054

[105th of 150]

Education, primary completion rate

31

[122nd of 148]

Enrolment ratio > Secondary level

8%

[133rd of 135]

Female enrolment share > Primary level

41.3%

[167th of 176]

Female enrolment share > Secondary level

39.2%

[155th of 170]

Geographical aptitude results

56.896

[183rd of 191]

Illiteracy rates by sex, aged 15+

73.4%

[2nd of 138]

Primary school girls out of school

75%

[7th of 99]

Public spending on education, total > % of government expenditure

16.64 %

[21st of 103]

Public spending per student > Primary level

22.2

[21st of 126]

Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

47.18

[19th of 159]

School life expectancy > Male

3.5 years

[97th of 97]

School life expectancy > Total

2.8 years

[109th of 110]

Tertiary enrollment

1%

[144th of 151]

Women to men parity index, as ratio of literacy rates, aged 15-24

0.66

[9th of 138]



Health
 

Access to sanitation

66%

[88th of 129]

Birth rate, crude > per 1,000 people

46.46 per 1,000 people

[10th of 195]

Children Underweight Rate

12%

[11th of 95]

Contraception

12%

[83rd of 89]

Dependency ratio per 100

106

[4th of 166]

Drug access

50%

[124th of 163]

expenditure per capita > current US$

24.2 $

[149th of 186]

Hospital beds > per 1,000 people

1.42 per 1,000 people

[89th of 149]

Infant mortality rate

98.67

[13th of 179]

Life expectancy at birth, total > years

48.48 years

[157th of 194]

Major infectious diseases > Food or waterborne diseases
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Malaria cases > per 100,000

619

[43rd of 94]

Maternal mortality

480 per 100,000

[28th of 136]

Physicians > per 1,000 people

0.06 per 1,000 people

[55th of 148]

Probability of not reaching 40

43%

[13th of 111]

Probability of reaching 65 > Male

29.7%

[149th of 159]

Smoking prevalence, males > % of adults

17.7 %

[11th of 42]

Spending > Per person

9

[123rd of 133]

Total expenditure on health as % of GDP

4.3%

[151st of 185]

Water availability

1,084 cubic meters

[142nd of 169]


Sports
 

African Cup of Nations > Most tournaments hosted > Hosts 1 time  
FIFA World Ranking > Men 503 [86th of 198]
ICCF national member federations > Official ICCF Delegate Etienne Sandaogo  
National Olympic Committee > NOC by recognition date > # 121 [23rd of 68]
Summer olympic medals > All time 1 [115th of 116]
 

Food
 

beverages and tobacco > % of value added in manufacturing

46.37 %

[13th of 103]

exports > % of merchandise exports

16.4 %

[56th of 156]



Language
 

French status
Official language . Bible 1530-1986.

Languages of the African Union > Illiteracy > Literacy rate

12.8

 

[174th of 174]

 

2) Religion
 

Catholic > Diocesan priests

504

[45th of 143]

Catholic > Permanent Deacons

1

[78th of 90]

Catholic > Total Priests

643

[55th of 149]

Catholics

1,445,000

[66th of 140]

Catholics as percentage

11.82

[80th of 150]

Islam > Number of Muslim

6,950,000

[32nd of 67]

Islam > Percentage Muslim

55%

[46th of 168]

Islam > Population

7,658,922

[29th of 165]

Islam > Shia

208,500

[40th of 67]

Islam > Shia to Muslim

3 %

[50th of 67]

Islam > Sunni

6,741,500

[32nd of 67]

Islam in Africa > Islamic population in Africa and population percentage > Population

55 %

[17th of 45]

Jehovahs Witnesses

1,145

[122nd of 178]

Muslim

50 %

[42nd of 66]

Protestantism > By country > Protestants

696,266

[64th of 167]

Protestantism > By country > Protestants > % Protestant

5 %

[88th of 163]

Religions > All
Muslim 50%, indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10%

Religions > Muslim

50 %

[40th of 100]

Roman Catholicism > By country > Roman Catholicism > % Catholic

17 %

[79th of 170]

Seventh-day Adventist Membership

2,812

[119th of 232]

 

3) Media
 

Average cost of local call

0.1

[48th of 151]

Book production, titles by the Universal Decimal Classification > Applied sciences

1

[76th of 77]

Book production, titles by the Universal Decimal Classification > Arts and recreation

1

[54th of 72]

Book production, titles by the Universal Decimal Classification > Literature

4

[52nd of 77]

Cinema attendance

4,900,000

[47th of 78]

DVD region

5

[48th of 171]

Households with television > %

6.82 %

[128th of 160]

Mobile phone subscribers

572,200

[116th of 198]

Newspapers and periodicals > Circulation > Daily

15,000

[81st of 90]

Newspapers and periodicals > Number of titles > Daily

4

[86th of 106]

Number of PCs

29

[143rd of 169]

Phone subscribers

11.37

[164th of 178]

Radio broadcast stations

AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 3

 

Radio receivers

370,000

[139th of 188]

Radios

394,020

[140th of 221]

Telephone system > Regulation

1999

 

Television broadcast stations

1

[15th of 89]

Television receivers

100,000

[131st of 185]

Televisions

131,340

[126th of 215]

Website defacements

1

[124th of 129]

 

Internet
 

Broadband subscribers

384

[105th of 117]

Country code

.bf

 

Hosts

116

[185th of 228]

International Internet bandwidth > Mbps

76 Mbps

[59th of 167]

Internet Service Providers

1

[209th of 229]

ISP

1

[17th of 162]

Livejournal users

155

[95th of 226]

Price basket for Internet > US$ per month

90.56 $/month

[8th of 180]

Secure Internet servers

3

[146th of 183]

TLD

.bf

 

Users

80,000

[120th of 190]


 

4) Tourism

1. Bobo Dioulasso
Referred to simply as “Bobo” by most Burkinabe and visitors, the second-largest city in Burkina Faso is also a thriving cultural center, drawing musicians and artists from all over Burkina and from surrounding countries. Every other year in March, over a thousand artists and musicians attend the Semaine Nationale de la Culture (National Culture Week), which highlights and encourages the nation’s spirited way of life. Bobo is a beautiful town with tree-lined streets, shady courtyards, and creeping bougainvillea. Take a private tour of the Sudanese-style Grand Mosque, constructed in 1880; amble through the Marché Central, where vendors sell jewelry, crafts, clothing, and food under canvas awnings; visit the Musée Houet, where artifacts and crafts recall the city’s past, and enjoy an evening performance by local musicians in a maquis, the West African version of a nightclub. Bobo is charming, timeless, and a must-see for anyone visiting Burkina Faso.

2. W National Park
The name of this park in eastern Burkina Faso comes from the shape the Niger River forms in the northern end of the park. It is the largest trans-border wildlife reserve in West Africa (the park extends to nearby Niger and Benin) and is a major ecotourism destination. W is home to elephants, lions, cheetahs, hippopotamuses, buffalo, antelope, and hundreds of bird species. The tourism infrastructure on the Burkina side is a little primitive, and the best way to explore the park is by camping overnight. Though the safari experience here may not be as comfortable as those on the big East African game reserves, you’re guaranteed to see plenty of impressive animals up close and in their most natural state.

3. Sindou Peaks and Niang Sokoné
These unusual rock formations, not far from Banfora in southwestern Burkina, are craggy peaks that look like the teeth of a saw. Hire a guide onsite to give you a tour of the area. A guide can also take you onward to Niang Sokoné, a troglodyte village an hour from the Sindou Peaks. The village, made up of boxlike dwellings leaning against the cliffs, is perched at the top of a small escarpment and was once where the Ouara people took refuge from the Senoufo. The climb up to the village is steep, but the breathtaking views are worth it.

4. Banfora

Banfora, the second-largest town in the southwestern region of the country, has the charm of a small village. Merchants from around the region flock to Banfora’s market on the weekends. Hire a guide to take you to the Karfiguéla Falls, and bathe in the pools above the falls. After that, take a small walk to the Fabédougou Domes; these tall, eroded granite rocks resemble mushrooms.

5. Lobi Country
Located in southern Burkina Faso, close to the Ivory Coast, is the homeland of the Lobi people. Seven ethnic groups make up the Lobi society, each with a different language but all with similar styles of architecture and a strong devotion to animism. A visit to a Lobi village might include a viewing of local pottery making and blacksmithing.

6. Ouagadougou

Burkina’s capital city, a bustling metropolis with a modern West African vibe, serves as the political and cultural core of the nation. The FESPACO and SIAO festivals both take place here, and theater, fine arts, music, and literature also thrive in Ouaga. Wander through the vibrant Grand Marché, visit the unrivaled Musée de la Musique (Music Museum), or see a Burkinabe film at one of Ouaga’s several cinemas. Despite the air pollution and the crowds, Ouaga’s spirit is purely Burkinabe.

7. Sahel Camel Safaris
In the north of Burkina Faso is the Sahel. Not quite a desert, this region is wild, dry, and dusty and is home to a few nomadic societies. Hire a guide to take you on a camel excursion from a number of local villages. The excursions can last anywhere from a few hours to several days, camping included.

8. Nazinga Ranch Game Reserve
Located three hours by car from Ouagadougou, Nazinga Ranch is the best place in Burkina, and possibly in all of West Africa, to see elephants, antelope, monkeys, baboons, crocodiles, and warthogs. Two Canadian brothers who shared a love for wildlife and a fear for the future of Burkina’s protected animals at the hands of poachers created the reserve in the 1970s. There is a camp with bungalows, apartments, and a dormitory for overnight visitors.

9. Gorom-Gorom

If you are traveling north to experience the Burkinabe Sahel, make a stop in Gorom-Gorom, the capital of its region, which has easy access to other towns in the region, such as Makoye and Oursi. The climate in Gorom-Gorom is extremely hot, dry, and dusty. This is par for the course in the Sahel, especially during the Harmattan season, when the wind blows sand south from the Sahara. On Thursdays, merchants from surrounding villages, as well as nomadic Tuareg and Peul peoples, flock to Gorom-Gorom for the market. The streets are packed with colorfully dressed vendors, horses, and camels. There is also a lively cattle market where one can purchase cattle (including the humped zebus), horses, donkeys, and goats.

10. Crocodiles at Bazoulé
If the trek to Nazinga or W is too far for you, head to Bazoulé, a short drive from Ouagadougou. The town is home to the most famous crocodile pond in all of Burkina Faso, with roughly 50 sacred crocodiles. The entrance fee to the pond is small, and for another small sum the brave can feed the wild beasts lunch.

When to Go
Burkina Faso has four “seasons.” The early dry season is from September to November; the middle dry season is from December to February, the late dry season is from March to May, and the wet season is from June to September. We recommend going between November and February, when the weather is dry and not too hot, and we discourage you from planning a trip during the late dry season and the start of the wet season before the rains come, as the heat can be intense and very uncomfortable.

You cannot go wrong with a visit to Ouagadougou in February of any odd-numbered year when FESPACO (Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou), the largest film festival in Africa, takes place. In October of any even-numbered year SIAO (International Art and Craft Fair), one of the largest crafts fairs in Africa, is worth a visit. Visit Bobo-Dioulasso in March of any even-numbered year for the Semaine Nationale de la Culture (National Culture Week).