Burkina faso fakta

Burkina Faso is a former French colony; the official language is French. Current medications recommended for malaria prophylaxis include Lariam (Mefloquin), Malarone (Atovaguone/Proguanil) and Doxcycline. At night, there is a high volume of truck traffic passing through the country, and pedestrians, bicycles, and donkey carts pose a major hazard on unlit, unmarked roads.

For additional information on malaria, including protective measures, please visit the CDC’s website.

There are vaccines not routinely given in the United States that are strongly advised before traveling to Burkina Faso. Research thoroughly any unsolicited business proposal originating from Burkina Faso or any other source before committing funds, providing goods or services, or undertaking travel.

Do not purchase counterfeit and pirated goods such as CDs, DVDs, or computer software even if they are widely available.

Burkina Faso is also home to the Grande Mosquée in Bobo-Dioulasso. Emergency services in case of accidents are scarce, underequipped, and practically nonexistent in most rural areas.

Caution is urged while using any form of public transportation to travel by road, and travelers should remain aware of their personal belongings at all times.

15. Non-violent crimes directed against visitors have been theft, burglary, and various confidence scams.

With a Global Terrorism Index (GTI) score of 8.581 in 2025, it faces the highest recorded impact from terrorism globally.

25. A series of "advance fees" must then be paid in order to conclude the transaction.

3. Burkina Faso used to be known as Upper Volta until it changed its name in 1984. They called the land Mogho (“country of the Mossi”) and established five independent kingdoms: Tenkodogo, Yatenga, Gourma, Zandoma, and Ouagadougou.

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Between 1960 and 1983, Burkina Faso experienced six coups and counter-coups.

13. The areas near and around the U.N. Circle, Avenue Kwame N’Krumah, and the Central Market in Ouagadougou experience the highest incidence of street crime.

24. Sometimes perpetrators manage to induce victims to provide bank account and credit card information, and financial authorizations that allow them to incur large debts against the victim’s credit.

Efforts in education, healthcare, and economic diversification highlight its potential for growth. If you break the law in Burkina Faso, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking illegal drugs in Burkina Faso can be severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Based on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, bilateral agreements with certain countries, and customary international law, if you are arrested in Burkina Faso you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S.

embassy or consulate of your arrest, and to have communications from you forwarded to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.