CAPITAL OUAGADOUGOU - POPULATION 14.3 MILLION - AREA 274,200 SQ KM - OFFICIAL LANGUAGE FRENCH
Sandwiched largely between Mali, Ghana and the Cote d'Ivoire, landlocked Burkina Faso sees few tourists or travelers. It's one of the poorest countries in the world despite its considerable gold reserves, with around 90% of the population deriving its income from agriculture. For all that, though, the relaxed and friendly capital, Ouagadougou, is remarkably culturally vibrant. The capital also prides itself as one of the top film production centers in West Africa - February and March 2009 will see the fabulous Pan-African Film Festival, Africa's largest - hitting town. Outside the city, visit Karfiguela's cascading waterfalls or venture further afield to the remote sandstone towers of the Pics de Sindou.
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