ABSTRACT
Burkina Faso is a country located in West Africa, landlocked by Mali, Niger, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. The population is unevenly distributed, with most people living in the center and southern portions of the country. About 32 percent of the population lives in urban areas, including Ouagadougou, the capital, which is home to nearly 3 million people and geographically located in the center of the country. The country’s population of 21.4 million is ethnically diverse, including groups such as Mossi, Fulani, Gurma, Bobo, Gurunsi, Senufo, Bissa, Lobi, and Dagara. French is the official and most commonly spoken language, while about 90 percent of the population also speaks one of many recognized local African dialects. About 64 percent of the population identifies as Muslim, and 25 percent identifies as Roman Catholic. Burkina Faso has one of the highest fertility rates in the world, with 5.1 children being born per woman. This has resulted in a rapidly growing, and proportionally young, population, with 65 percent of people under the age of 25.
