Burkina Faso
General Facts
Area: 274,200 km2 (105,900 sq miles)
Capital City: Ouagadougou
Population: 20,107,509 (2017 estimate)
Official Languages: French
Boarding Countries: Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cote d'lvoire
Coastline: None
Currency: West African CFA Franc (XOF)
Government: Presidential Republic
Climate
The climate is characterized by high temperatures, especially at the end of the dry season. The harmattan, a dry east wind, brings with it spells of considerable heat from March to May, when maximum temperatures range from 40°c to 48°c (104° to 119°f); from May to October, the climate is hot and wet, and from November to March, comfortable and dry. January temperatures range from 7°c to 13°c (44° to 55°f). Average annual rainfall varies from 115 cm (45 in) in the southwest to less than 25 cm (10 in) in the extreme north and northeast. The rainy season lasts from four months in the northeast to six months in the southwest, from May through October.
Five Largest Cities/Towns:
1. Ouagadougou (1,086,505)
2. Bobo-Dioulasso (360,106)
3. Koudougou (87,347)
4. Ouahigouya (61,096)
5. Banfora (60,288)
