- Landlocked in the Sahel -

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in the vast Sahel region, which stretches along the Sahara's southern rim from the Atlantic to the Red Sea.

It is about half as big as France, its former colonial ruler, and shares borders with the Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo and Ghana.

Its population of more than 20 million is made up of some 60 different ethnic groups, the largest being the Mossi.

Sixty percent of the population is Muslim and nearly a quarter are Christian.

- 'African Che' -

Known in colonial times as Upper Volta, the country gained its independence in 1960.

A popular uprising in 1966 toppled its first president, Maurice Yameogo. This was followed by seven military coups.

In 1983, young revolutionary officers led by Thomas Sankara took power, renaming the country Burkina Faso, "the land of honest men".

Sankara, then only 33, pushed for economic development but ruled with an iron fist.

The so-called father of Burkina Faso's revolution, who was himself ousted in a coup, remains a cult figure, often called the African Che Guevara.

- Popular uprising -

A wave of army mutinies swept the country over several months in 2011, alongside public protests over high food prices, unemployment and the looting of property by troops.

In 2014, longtime president Blaise Compaore was toppled by street protests after attempting to change the constitution in order to extend his 27-year rule.

Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who had been a part of a Compaore government, was elected president in 2015.

- Jihadist insurgency -

Burkina Faso was initially spared the deadly attacks perpetrated by jihadist groups active in the Sahel, which started in neighbouring Mali in 2012.

But it has suffered multiple assaults and kidnappings by Islamist radicals since 2015.

In 2016, the capital Ouagadougou repeatedly came under attack, including an assault on the Splendid Hotel and a cafe, which left 30 people dead, around half of them foreigners.

The insurgency intensified in 2018 and became intertwined with inter-communal violence that has left more than 2,000 people dead and forced 1.4 million from their homes.

- Gold and hunger -

Burkina Faso is ill-equipped to face the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, ranked 182 out of 189 countries on the UN Human Development Index.

Famine is a major concern. Nearly three million people face acute food insecurity, according to a 2021 UN report.

In 2009 gold took over from cotton as the main export.

Agriculture is also a vital sector, employing nearly 80 percent of the active population, according to the World Bank.

The jihadist insurgency has ravaged the country's once-vibrant tourist industry.

- Africa's biggest festival -

Ouagadougou is home to the continent's biggest film and television festival, FESPACO, which takes place every two years.

- Fascinating fact -

As well as being a revolutionary hero, Sankara was also a nifty guitarist who contributed to the country's national anthem, "One Single Night".

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