Wow - Burkina Faso Week is finally here! August was so crazy with my trip that I didn't have enough time to dedicate to Burkina Faso and well one thing or another kept coming up in the beginning of this month. In any case, I'm really excited to explore this country with you throughout the course of this week.
To be honest, I didn't know much about this country before I started prepping for this week. I'd known one person from Burkina while in graduate school but otherwise my knowledge was definitely in the "slim to none" category. I was also a little worried that I wouldn't find much, not because I have any doubt that there is a ton of creativity coming out of this African nation, but that I wouldn't be able to find a lot online. Despite the feeling that the world is at my fingertips, I know when it comes to Africa, many of the continent's amazing talents aren't 100% linked in to the world wide web.
And yet, I have found that despite this challenge, just a little digging reveals so much beauty and talent from this country. So let's get started with some very basic facts and some lovely photography.
Quick Facts:
- "Burkina" means "men of integrity," from the Moré language, and "Faso" means "father's house" in Dioula.
- Ex-French colony which gained independence in 1960
- Super landlocked with lots of neighbors including Mali, Togo, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Niger.
- There are appr. 15.3 million people living in the country, but with poverty running nuts, migration is a big deal.
- The majority of the work force is in agriculture with huge chunks working in cotton fields. Gold mining is also a big deal.
- To get more details, click here.
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