Burkina Faso (previously Upper Volta) is a landlocked country in upper West Africa. Going counterclockwise around Burkina Faso, Mali is to the north and west, Cote d’Ivoire is southwest, Ghana and Togo are south, Benin is southeast, and Niger is east. The official language of the country is [Page 184]French, and even the website for its embassy in the United States is in French.

The country is one of the poorest in Africa, with a per capita income of less than $2,000. The literacy rate is currently the lowest globally. The majority of the population is still made up of subsistence farmers, and much of the country is quite arid. There are several large cities and many interesting travel destinations. The cuisine of Burkina Faso includes ...