Burkina Faso

Ouagadougou—often shortened to “Ouaga”—is the capital and largest city of Burkina Faso, serving as its political, economic, and cultural hub. It’s a center of West African arts, hosting FESPACO, one of Africa’s most important film festivals, and is historically linked to the Mossi kingdoms and the Moro Naba royal court. To avoid mix-ups: Bamako is the capital of neighboring Mali, Accra is Ghana’s capital, and Nionghou isn’t a national capital. Memory tip: “Burkina–Ouaga” pairs neatly—both end with “a” and share a punchy “ga,” while “Accra” goes with Ghana. Also remember that Burkina Faso was called Upper Volta until 1984; “Burkina” (upright) + “Faso” (fatherland) hints at the country’s proud identity—centered in Ouagadougou.