Burkina Faso
![Location of Burkina Faso (dark blue)– in Africa (light blue & dark grey)– in the African Union (light blue) – [Legend]](/Images/godic/202501/02/Location_Burkina_Faso_AU_Africa.svg5033.png")
![The cavalry of the Mossi Kingdoms were experts at raiding deep into enemy territory, even against the formidable Mali Empire.](/Images/godic/202501/02/MossiCavalry5033.jpg")
![Resistance to the French invasion at Bobo-Dioulasso in 1892.](/Images/godic/202501/02/Pg381_Des_hommes_sur_les_toits_s'opposent5033.jpg")
![The capital, Ouagadougou, in 1930](/Images/godic/202501/02/Mittelholzer-ouagadougou5033.jpg")
Burkina Faso (/bərˈkiːnə ˌfɑːsoʊ/ bər-KEE-nə FAH-soh; French: [buʁkina faso]) is a landlocked country in West Africa around 274,200 square kilometres (105,900 sq mi) in size. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north; Niger to the east; Benin to the southeast; Togo and Ghana to the south; and Ivory Coast to the southwest. Its capital is Ouagadougou. As of 2014, its population was estimated at just over 17.3 million.