They inhabit the northern Sahelian region and the border areas with Mali. Peul (Fula) and Tamasheq (Tuareg) clans with their quasi-vassal associates, Bellah, are largely pastoralists, and are almost entirely Muslim. Roman Catholics form an influential minority, especially prominent in local government in the capital Ouagadougou, and the southern economic centre Bobo- Dioulasso. Many Burkinabe adhere to traditional beliefs, but a steadily growing minority have a strengthening Muslim identity, despite the fact that this was historically resisted by both local leaders and the colonial French throughout the 20th century. Other groups include Peul and Hausa (the latter having a minimal identity). Mande-speakers include Senufo, Dioula and Busani (Dioula/ juula being a historically dominant oral language where business transactions are concerned). The Voltaic linguistic group includes Mossi, Gurunsi, Bobo and Lobi. It should be noted that ethno-linguistic allegiances have historically shifted in line with economic and climatic changes, a process that can be expected to continue and probably accelerate. There is a great linguistic and ethnic diversity among the inhabitants of Burkina Faso (known as Burkinabe). (There are no reliable population figures on these groups.) Minority groups include Dioula, Peul and related groups, Lobi, Dagiri and related groups, Bobo and Guransi.

Main religions: Islam, Christianity, traditional beliefs. Main languages: French (official), More, Dioula, Gurmanche This remains the case under the current president, Blaise Compaoré, regarded in Paris as one of France's closest African allies. A Mossi-dominated political party led Upper Volta to independence in 1960, but France retained strong influence, including through the provision of presidential advisors. France asserted control over the area in the 1890s, first dividing it among other colonies but then reconstituting it within its present borders from 1919 to 1932, and again from 1947. Mossi arrived in the area in the eleventh to thirteenth centuries and established a powerful kingdom, a centre of contact with trans-Saharan traders and the forest kingdoms to the south, centred upon what is now viewed as the Asante regions of central Ghana. Extreme variations in rainfall have led to periods of severe drought, with large loss of life and livestock. The poor semi-arid soil supports few crops, produces low yields and loses its fertility rapidly. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.īurkina Faso, formerly Upper Volta, is bordered by Niger, Mali, Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Refworld entries have been updated accordingly. For the most part, overview texts were not themselves updated, but the previous 'Current state of minorities and indigenous peoples' rubric was replaced throughout with links to the relevant minority-specific reports, and a 'Resources' section was added. In October 2015, MRG revised its World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples.

Minority Rights Group International, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples - Burkina Faso, 2007, available at:

Upper volta colonial history