Baedeker to Burkina Faso Trivia Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, originally belonged to the indigenous people of the land known as Mossi. Which European country's colonial forces defeated the Mossi kingdom in 1896?

Answer: France

There was intense competition between all of these states in the 19th century to claim African land. This became known as the "Scramble for Africa".
The competition for the land now known as Burkina Faso was between France and Britain.

During the French rule over Burkina Faso, resources were directed elsewhere, meaning that when independence came in 1960 the land was neglected and the people were desperately poor.

2. Following the gaining of independence in 1960, Burkina Faso (then Upper Volta) came to be ruled by Maurice Yameogo. Which of these best describes Yameogo's rule?

Answer: Oppressive and autocratic

Yameogo was Upper Volta's first President and under him there was a cycle of coups and counter-coups. Upon coming to power he banned virtually all political parties.
In 1966 Yameogo was deposed and replaced by Gen. Lamizana, who suspended the constitution and dissolved the national assembly. Lamizana was then overthrown by Col. Saye Zerbo in 1980 who was, in turn, replaced by Maj. Jean-Baptist Ouegraogo in 1982. This created further instability in an already weak nation.

3. What was known as the "real revolutionary change" occured in Burkina in 1983 when a young Marxist-Leninist came to power. This man changed the name of the country from Upper Volta to Burkina Faso. What was this man's name?

Answer: Thomas Sankara

Sankara (or Thom Sank, as he was popularly known) set about investing in education, food production and clinics. He advocated women's liberation and made many international alliances in an attempt to sever the ties to Burkina's colonial past.

Sankara changed the name to Burkina Faso, meaning "The Land of the Upright People" (also claimed to be "Land of the Honourable Man" and "Land of the Incorruptible"). However, the words Burkina and Faso mean something different. Burkina means "men of integrity" and Faso means "father's house".

4. Which of the following is the most common cause of death in Burkina Faso?

Answer: Malaria

Data is based on WHO information from 2011. Burkina Faso also faces regular drought. As well as the struggles of drought and a GNI per capita of $430 (World Bank, 2007). Burkina Faso can be extremely wet and uncomfortably humid from June to September.

The climate is slightly cooler from December to February however mild dust storms can occur in these periods. The hot season is March to early June.

5. If you did want to visit the country's deserts and Gorom-Gorom market in the north or the peculiar rock formations in the south you would have to get there first. How many international airports does Burkina Faso have?

Answer: 2

Many visitors to Burkina Faso have claimed to be extremely taken in by the relaxed way of life and friendly people.

The two airports in question are A�roport International d'Ouagadougou and A�roport International Borgo.

The market town of Gorom-Gorom has a name meaning "you sit down, we'll sit down". It attracts many market traders and it situated near a gold mine (gold being one of the most important exports of Burkina Faso).
If you fancy going for a shop at the Gorom-Gorom market remember to convert your cash to CFA Francs.

6. The previous name of Burkina Faso, Upper Volta, was in reference to the Volta River, which runs through the country. The three parts which make up the Volta River are represented in the flag of Upper Volta. Which of these is not one of those "parts"?

Answer: Orange Volta

This is depicted in the Upper Volta flag, showing black, white and red horizontal stripes.

The flag of Burkina Faso contains the traditional colours of an African flag. It is made up of an upper red band and a lower green band with a yellow/golden star in the centre. The red band represents the struggle for independence, the green band represents the hope and abundance and the star symbolises Burkina's mineral wealth.

7. The relative religious and social stability of Burkina Faso is envied by many of its neighbours. Five of Burkina's neighbours are Togo, Mali, Niger, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. Which country, with the capital Porto-Novo, is the sixth?

Answer: Benin

There is some hostility between Burkina Faso and its neighbours, with Burkina being accused of using citizens to smuggle stolen diamonds from Sierra Leone. Burkina has also accused Cote d'Ivoire of treating Burkinabes inhumanely.
The accusations of diamond smuggling may very well be true, as although Burkina Faso has major exports of cotton and gold, these are extremely dependent on the world market and with few fall-back exports, theft is an easy option.

8. Burkina Faso is a landlocked country and so does not have an ocean/sea coastline. However, which ocean/sea is geographically closest to Burkina Faso?

Answer: The Atlantic Ocean

Burkina Faso is located in West Africa and is often described as the "heart of West Africa" due to its geographical positioning. It has a total area of 274,200 sq km, slightly larger than the state of Colorado.

9. Despite the lack of popularity of Burkinabe music, it certainly does not lack variety, with over 60 ethnic groups each with their own variety of folk music. One of the most important songs in Burkina Faso is the national anthem. What title does this anthem have?

Answer: Une Seule Nuit

Une Seule Nuit (meaning "One Single Night") was written by former president Thomas Sankara and has remained the Burkina national anthem despite Sankara being assassinated by ex-loyal soldiers.

Hino Nacional Brasileiro is the national anthem of Brazil, the Brabanconne is that of Belgium and Hymn to Liberty is Greece.

10. The majority of Burkinabes are Sunni Muslims with many others being Christians or followers of indigenous beliefs. What best describes the general feeling between members of different religions towards each other in Burkina Faso?

Answer: Accepting and Tolerant

It is often said in Burkina Faso that "50% are Muslim, 50% are Christian and 100% are Animist". This shows how many in Burkina value the ancient Animist rites and how this seems to be the foundation for the coherence and acceptance between members of different religions.
The Grand Mosque of Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso's second largest city) was built by people from many faiths working together in the late 19th century.

Thanks for playing my quiz and taking the time to find out a bit about Burkina Faso.

Source: Author doublemm

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

It isn't the best known of countries and although being one of the world's poorest countries, it is one of the most stable in terms of religion and community.

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