Officially name: Burkina Faso
Capital: Ouagadougou
Largest city: Ouagadougou
Official language: French
Government: Semi-presidential republic
Two key elements for the culture of Burkina Faso (a country once known as Upper Volta) are its indigenous masks and dancing. The masks used in this region of the western Sahel are made for rites of sacrifice to gods and animal spirits in the villages. Native dance, on the other hand, is employed to demonstrate the villagers’ desire for blessings by the spirits.
Burkina Faso is divided into 13 administrative regions. Each region is administered by a Governor.