How big is Burkina Faso? How big is Africa? 

Burkina Faso is a country, like the United States, Canada, or China. But in Europe, Africa, and some other parts of the world, countries are much smaller than in the U.S. or Canada, and the countries may seem more like states or provinces. 

In terms of length and width, how does Burkina Faso compare to the United States? To your state, province or country? Can you estimate the area of Burkina Faso and the area of your state, province or country and compare them? How many people live in your state, province or country compared to the 12 million people who live in Burkina Faso?

When you think about Africa, it's easy to imagine that it is similar in size to one of the other continents, like North or South America. But take a closer look. How far is it from the far north of Africa to the southern tip? How does that compare with the United States or Canada, or the continent of North America? Which is the largest continent in the world? Which is the smallest? Can you estimate the areas of all the continents and rank them? Can you make a graph to show your results? What type of graph might you choose to communicate this information in a meaningful way?

Finding and using maps of Burkina Faso

There are several websites for maps of Burkina Faso. Search for a site, or try one of these:

Can you identify the capital of Burkina Faso? Can you pronounce it? Did you know that it is mentioned in one of the Harry Potter books (spelled a little differently)? If you want a hint about the name or some help pronouncing it, click here.

Burkina Faso is not far from a place called Timbuktu (sometimes spelled Tombuktu). Can you find Timbuktu on a map? How far is it from Timbuktu to Cathy's town of Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso? Compare that to the distance between your town and a city where you might want to go.

About Burkina Faso

Try a web search on "Burkina Faso" for more information about Burkina Faso. Many websites have information about population, government, geography, and so on, including http://www.emulateme.com/burkina.htm and http://www.atlasgeo.net/htmlg/BurkinaFaso.htm. The Burkina Faso Embassy in the United States also has a website with information. The United States government maintains a World Factbook with lots of data on different countries for some good math problems or cool graphs you could make. Stanford University also has a great website with all kinds of Internet resources for specific countries in Africa. With a little effort, you may even be able to find a website with information about a special interest of yours related to Burkina Faso. 

Longitude, Latitude and Time Zones

How close to the equator is Burkina Faso? How much of Africa lies above (or below) the equator? How does that compare with South America? What line of latitude (in numbers) is the equator? 

In what important time zone does Burkina Faso lie? You can check the time and compare it to yours at a website. Find the small numbers that represent the country's latitude and longitude and think about/explore/discuss what these numbers mean. At about what lines of latitude and longitude does Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso lie? Can you identify an opposite location on the globe (a location the same distance on the other side of the equator as Burkina Faso)? Latitude and longitude rely on a sexigesimal number system, rather than a decimal number system. What does this mean? Do we use a sexigesimal system in any other situation?

Are time zones and longitude related in any way? Use an atlas or encyclopedia (electronic or the old-fashioned kind in books) or a globe, or search the web for information on latitude and longitude. The National Geographic site has maps you can search for time zones, and there is even a distance/latitude/longitude site where you can find the latitude and longitude of Ouagadougou and its distance from your town.  

How much do you know about the 
Muslim religion (Islam)?

Today it is increasingly important to understand that many people in the world practice different religions. There are often misconceptions (wrong ideas) about what most Muslims believe and practice, so doing your own research and talking to Muslims in your community may give you the best information.

The data are not always clear for Burkina Faso, since many people live in very remote areas, but at least half the people in Burkina Faso (and maybe as high as 70 or 80%) practice Islam. Burkinabè Muslims celebrate two major holidays, Ramadan and Tabaski (click the word for the definition page, or see the photos on the Holidays page).

To find out more about Islam, look in your local telephone yellow pages under "Mosques" or "Churches--Islam" and find someone in your community with whom you can talk. Try checking out one of the following websites, or do your own Internet search:

By the way, did you know that many other cultures have a traditional calendar that does not coincide with the widely used Gregorian/Christian calendar? If the year were 2002 in much of the world, it might be different in Islam communities (click for the Hijri date), in China, or in many Asian cultures. For the sake of business, development, and convenience, most countries have adopted the more common Gregorian (western) calendar for everyday use. An interesting research project might be to further explore the different calendars used in different cultures. 

Personal note from Cathy: Especially since the tragedy of September 11, 2001, many people are concerned that Muslims as a group may be violent extremists. In my experience, this is not the case. I think it is important to remember that all religions tend to include some number of people whose extreme views might not represent those of the larger group. To make generalizations about an entire religious group based on a small number of extremists does a great disservice to the vast majority of those who practice that religion. Furthermore, in investigating religious practices, consider which practices may be unique to a particular community or national or regional culture, rather than a universal element of the religion itself. My suggestion is to get to know a person, rather than to stereotype a group.