Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in western Africa. Its neighboring countries are Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Benin and Togo. Ouagadougou the Capital and also the largest city is centrally located in the country. Ouagadougou has a population of 2.45 million people. The second Largest city is Bobo-Dioulasso with a population of 904,000. Bobo is located in the southwest part of the country. Other larger cities by decreasing size are Koudougou, Ouahigouya, Banfora, Dédougou, Kaya, Dori, Tenkodogo, Reo, Houndé and Fada N'gourma. Burkina Faso is 105,900 square miles in size or to put it in the US perspective it is slightly larger than the state of Colorado(104.093) and slightly smaller than the state of Nevada(110,571). Burkina Faso has a population of 20.32 million.
Above is a language map of Burkina Faso which includes the major languages. French is the most widely spoken language in the cities of Burkina Faso with a native language Moore/Mossi being very common in the countryside. There are also other languages spoken that will vary by region, although if you speak French you will likely always be able to find someone to translate for you. French is the official language and is the language of instruction in the schools.
Burkina Faso uses the CFA/XOF Franc as their currency and that currency is also shared with many African countries which are Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali, Benin, Niger, Guinea-Bissau and Togo . The CFA is fixed to the Euro at 655.957CFA per 1 Euro. Currently the US dollar exchanges at 540 CFA for each dollar. The CFA/XOF has a sister currency called the XAF or Central African Franc, the XAF has the same value and is used in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea
Burkina Faso is a very poor country with the average income of around $800 US dollars a year. Like a lot of poor countries however some people are very rich and many others are a lot poorer. Some people are so poor they cannot afford a bicycle, others drive around in new Land Rovers. Most people use small motorcycle, scooters and bicycles to get around. The streets can get very chaotic with everything from bicycles to big trucks and three wheeled truck motorcycles all sharing the road.
The climate in Burkina Faso is hot and dry. With many unpaved roads the cities the dust can get bad. April, May and June are the hottest months. The rainy season begins in June or July and cools the temperatures some. Even during the night the temperatures usually remain high in Burkina. The cooler period is in November, December, January and February. But even in the cooler period you can expect highs in the upper 90's.
In the past Burkina Faso was considered one of the safest and most stable countries in western Africa. Unfortunately there are currently problems with extremist Muslims that are often exasperated by the instability in neighboring countries, primarily Mali. These problems are mostly in the Northern part of the country by Mali, the Sahel region. Ouagadougou and Bobo seem safer to me than many US cities of comparable size and I have been out at all hours and all over. I do recommend avoiding the northern part of the country currently.
Most of the population in Burkina is rural and farming is the major industry. Processing of agricultural goods, textiles and gold mining are also key industries.