Since 1969, Ouagadougou has hosted FESPACO, Africa's biggest film festival. Its top prize, the Stallion of Yennenga (now the Golden Stallion), honours the warrior princess behind the Mossi kingdom — Idrissa Ouédraogo's 'Tilaï' took it home in 1991.
'Burkina Faso' fuses two languages — 'upright people' in Mooré, 'homeland' in Dioula — and the demonym Burkinabè borrows a third, Fulfulde. The name was adopted in 1984.
Check official travel advisories first: several areas are advised against. In Ouagadougou, see the National Museum, the artisans' village and FESPACO (odd years). An eSIM helps: follow official advisories in real time, keep family posted and double-check routes as you go.