Burkina Faso (Haute-Volta)

Upper Volta, judging by archeological finds, was one of ancient centres of dispersal of the person in the Western Africa. In XIII century here already there was a powerful state, and the first Europeans have appeared only in the beginning of XIX century. Since 1919 Upper Volta was possession of France, independence is intoned in 1960. In 1985 the country is renamed into Burkina Faso. An official language - French.

Burkina Faso occupies the space in 274,4  thousand both  sq. km in the middle the Western Africa also has no exit to ocean. The basic part of the country is had in savannahs of Sudanese region which in the north passes in sahelskuju, bordering on to Sahara, and in the south - in Guinean. The country bulk - the undular plateau Mosiah combined by shale, gneisses and granite over whom separate mounts in altitude to 750  m are lifted. On a plateau originate the rivers Black Voltas, Red Volta, White Volta and the right inflows of Niger.

Struggle of winds against Sahara and Atlantic ocean defines an originality of a subequatorial climate of Burkina Faso: during a dry season (from October till May-June) the northeast wind harmattan, bringing drying up heat and clouds of the smallest sand overtops. Heat in April attains 41-45  °C, but in May there steps a season of the rains brought by the Atlantic monsoon. The precipitation, however, does not exceed 1000  mm, and in the north - 120-200  mm a year. During a season of rains of the river overflow banks, and in the winter almost completely dry up. A deficiency of water and a drought - a main problem of the country.

The Vegetation, nevertheless, is diverse enough: in the north it kustarnichkovye deserts which to the south are replaced by Sudanese savannah with acacias, an oily arbour karite, a carob tree, a tamarind and baobabs, in the south forming the picturesque light forests which are occuring intermittently with galerejnymi by ever-green forests in valleys of the rivers. The fauna saved in national parks is diverse also. In reservations Arli, Kurtjagu and Double Ve in the east of the country is a lot of elephants, lions and panthers; in savannovyh woods diverse antelopes - from small koba to large, with long horns, black antelopes dwell; swampy shores of the rivers in region Dedugu - paradise for river horses, crocodiles and red-bellied terrapins. There are also water buffaloes, cheetahs, feral cats, hyenas, assemblage of monkeys, not speaking about auks and reptiles.

The country Population (nearby 9,8  million persons) it is very diverse on ethnic composition. Its nucleus are mosi (their tongue the sea becomes national though French continues to remain official), close to them bobo are famous as skilful handicraftsmen (popularity items from an ivory, gold have acquired their woodcarving, figurines from bronze and a terracotta). In the north of the country there live nomads-cattlemen tuaregi. In the country it is not enough cities, largest of them - capital Ugadugu, Bobo-Dioulasso, the others a little than differ from the big villages.