Burkina Faso

If you haven't heard of Burkina Faso, don't worry no one else has either. Rest assured though, after reading this blog post you will walk away with the knowledge that 1) it is a country 2) it is in Africa and 3) I am going there. Burkina Faso (formerly known as the Republic of the Upper Volta) is in Western Africa and is bordered by Ghana, Togo, Mali, Niger, Benin, and Cote d'Ivoire. Here's a fancy map:

Anyway, most of the information I've gleaned about Burkina Faso comes from what the Peace Corps has sent out but Wikipedia has also been an invaluable asset.

The CIA reports that "Burkina Faso's high population density and limited natural resources results in poor economic prospects for the majority of citizens". It is also ranked 161 out of 169 on the United Nations International Human Development Index. However, don't let these stats deter you from coming to visit me at some point before December 2013. The Burkinabe are known to be some of the nicest, friendliest, culturally accepting people in the entire world.

Oh yea, they also speak French and a variety of local dialects which should be really interesting to learn and then communicate in.