The people
The region now occupied by Burkina Faso has seen mass movements of people throughout a long history. It is thus not surprising that the ethnology of the country is very diverse. More than 60 ethnic groups are present, including the Mossi, Gurunsi, Senfo, Lobi, Bobo and Fulani peoples. These groups all originate in specific regions of the country, but today, people move about considerably. It is thus common to find people of various ethnic backgrounds living in the same community.
The Mossi people are the most populous, contributing about 50% of the population. Although French is the official language of the country, Moré, language of the Mossi , is spoken by large numbers of people. The Mossi, renowned for their skill as warriors, ensured that their territories were never completely conquered. So it is that the territories of the central plateau of Burkina Faso have belonged to them for the last 800 years.
The second largest population group is the Fulani, making up 8% of the population. Traditionally, these were nomadic people, raising mostly cattle. Their language is Fulfulde and their religion largely Muslim.
Dioula is another language widely spoken in the country. Dioula emerged as a Muslim trading language and is spoken across West Africa. In Burkina Faso, its speakers are concentrated in the North-West and South-West of the country. The majority of languages in the country are part of the voltaic group of the Niger-Congo family of languages. There are, however, several exceptions, of which the language of the Tuaregs is an example. The Tuaregs speak Tamashek, a Berber language derived from Arabic. The majority of Burkinabé people are religious, the largest group of which are Muslim and the second largest group, Christian. Many also practice traditional religions, sometimes uniquely and often in conjunction with one of the Abrahamic religions.
