Ouagadougou
Encyclopedia
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 (as of 2006). The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais. The spelling of the name Ouagadougou is derived from the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
orthography common in former French African colonies. If English orthography were used (as in Ghana or Nigeria), the spelling would be Wagadugu.
Ouagadougou's primary industries are food processing
Food processing
Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...
and textiles. It is served by an international airport
Ouagadougou Airport
Ouagadougou Airport is an airport located in the centre of the city of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso.In 2004, the airport served 241,466 passengers .-Airlines and destinations:...
, rail links to Abidjan
Abidjan
Abidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
in Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
and to Kaya
Kaya, Burkina Faso
Kaya is the eighth largest city in Burkina Faso, lying north east of Ouagadougou, to which it is connected by railway. It is a centre for weaving and tanning....
in the north of Burkina, and a highway to Niamey
Niamey
-Population:While Niamey's population has grown steadily since independence, the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city...
, Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. Ouagadougou was the site of Ouagadougou grand market, one of the largest markets in West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, which burned in 2003 and remains closed. Other attractions include the National Museum of Burkina Faso, the Moro-Naba Palace (site of the Moro-Naba Ceremony
Moro-Naba Ceremony
The Moro-Naba Ceremony takes place every Friday around 07:00 in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Mossi leaders travel to the compound of the Moro-Naba chief. They are seated by rank for the Moro-Naba's appearance. The Moro-Naba wears red and appears with a horse as if prepared for war...
), the National Museum of Music
National Museum of Music
The National Museum of Music is located in Ouagadougou, in a two-story building on Oubritenga Avenue on the south side of the Phillipe Zinda Kabore School. It is currently closed for extensive renovations, which began in 2009 and have no designated date for completion...
, and several craft
Craft
A craft is a branch of a profession that requires some particular kind of skilled work. In historical sense, particularly as pertinent to the Medieval history and earlier, the term is usually applied towards people occupied in small-scale production of goods.-Development from the past until...
markets.
History
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
's history, led his tribe to victory. He then renamed the area from "Kumbee-Tenga", as the Ninsi had called it, to "Wogodogo", meaning "where people get honor and respect". Ouagadougou is a Francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
of Wogodogo.
The city became the capital of the Mossi Empire in 1441 and was the permanent residence of the Mossi emperors (Moro-Naba) from 1681. The Moro-Naba Ceremony
Moro-Naba Ceremony
The Moro-Naba Ceremony takes place every Friday around 07:00 in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Mossi leaders travel to the compound of the Moro-Naba chief. They are seated by rank for the Moro-Naba's appearance. The Moro-Naba wears red and appears with a horse as if prepared for war...
is still performed every Friday by the Moro-Naba and his court. The French made Ouagadougou the capital of the Upper Volta
French Upper Volta
Upper Volta was a colony of French West Africaestablished on March 1, 1919, from territories that had been part of the colonies of Upper Senegal and Niger and the Côte d'Ivoire...
territory (basically the same area as contemporary independent Burkina Faso) in 1919. In 1954 the railroad line from Cote d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
reached the city. The population of Ouagadougou doubled from 1954 to 1960 and has been doubling since about every ten years.
Geography
Ouagadougou, situated on the central plateau (12.4° N 1.5° W), grew around the imperial palace of the Mogho Naaba. Being an administrative center of colonial rule, it became an important urban center in the post-colonial era. First the capital of the Mossi KingdomsMossi Kingdoms
The Mossi Kingdoms, sometimes mistakenly referred to as the Mossi Empire, were a trio of powerful states in modern-day Burkina Faso. Each state possessed similar customs and government, but were ruled independently of each other...
and later of Upper Volta and Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou became a veritable communal center in 1995.
Government
The first municipal elections were held in 1956.Ouagadougou is governed by a mayor, who is elected for a five-year term, two senior councillors, and 90 councillors.
The city is divided into five arrondissements, consisting of 30 sectors, which are subdivided into districts. Districts of Ouagadougou include Gounghin, Kamsaoghin, Koulouba, Moemmin, Niogsin, Paspanga, Peuloghin, Bilbalogho, and Tiendpalogo. Seventeen villages comprise the Ouagadougou metropolitan area, which is about 219.3 km².
The population of this area is estimated to be 1,475,000 inhabitants, 48% of which are men and 52% women. The rural population is about 5% and the urban population about 95% of the total, and the density is 6,727 inhabitants per square kilometer, according to 2006 census.
Concerning city management, the communes of Ouagadougou have made the decision to invest in huge projects. This is largely because Ouagadougou constitutes a 'cultural centre' by merit of holding the SIAO
SIAO
Held biennially in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital, the International Art and Craft Fair, Ouagadougou--better known by its French name as SIAO is one of Africa's most important trade shows for art and handicrafts.-Why the International Art and Craft Fair, Ouagadougou:The Ouagadougou...
(International Arts and Crafts fair) and the FESPACO (Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou). Moreover, the growing affluence of the villages allow for such investment, and the fact that the population is growing rapidly necessitates it.
| Arrondissement | Population (Census 2006) |
|---|---|
| Baskuy | 180,512 |
| Bogodogo | 374,473 |
| Boulmiougou | 366,182 |
| Nongremassom | 188,329 |
| Sig-Noghin | 163,859 |
Climate
The climate of Ouagadougou is hot. Under the Köppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
the city features a tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a type of climate that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories "Aw" and '"As."...
. The city is part of the Soudano-Sahelian area, with a rainfall of about 900 mm (35.4 in) per year. The rainy season stretches from May to October, with an average temperature of 30 °C (86 °F). The cold season runs from December to January, with a minimum temperature of 19 °C (66.2 °F). The maximum temperature during the hot season, which runs from March to May, can reach 45 °C (113 °F). The harmattan
Harmattan
The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from the Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March...
(a dry wind) and the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
are the two main factors that determine Ouagadougou's climate.
Parks
The Bangr-Weoogo urban park (area: 2.63 km² (1 sq mi)), before colonialism, belonged to the Mosse chiefs. Considering it a sacred forest, many went there for traditional initiations or for refuge. The French colonists, disregarding its local significance and history, established it as a park in the 1930s. In 1985, renovations were done in the park. In January 2001, the park was renamed "Parc Urbain Bangr-Weoogo", meaning "the urban park of the forest of knowledge".Another notable park in Ouagadougou is the "L'Unité Pédagogique", which shelters animals in a semi-free state. This botanic garden/biosphere system stretches over 8 hectares (19.8 acre) and also serves as a museum for the country's history.
"Jardin de l'amitié Ouaga-Loudun" (Garden of Ouaga-Loudun Friendship), with a green space that was renovated in 1996, is a symbol of the twin-city relationship between Ouagadougou and Loudun in France. It is situated in the center of the city, near the "Nation Unies' crossroads".
Other sites
"Naba Koom" is a statue depicting a woman handling a calabashCalabash
Lagenaria siceraria , bottle gourd, opo squash or long melon is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. For this reason, the calabash is widely known as the bottle gourd...
to pour water. The 6 metres (19.7 ft) high statue faces the railway station, welcoming travellers into Ouaga. The place bears the name of an important chief in Burkina Faso’s history.
"Laongo", 30 km (19 mi) east of the city, features enormous granite slabs that were designed by various sculptors. The exhibit displays works of art from five continents.
"La Place du Grand Lyon" is a monument that reflects the relationship between Burkina Faso's capital and Lyon in France. It is located near the French cultural Center George Melies and features an imposing lion. A zoo called "Parc Animalier de Ziniaré" is located 30 km (19 mi) east of the city in the hometown of the president.
- National Museum of MusicNational Museum of MusicThe National Museum of Music is located in Ouagadougou, in a two-story building on Oubritenga Avenue on the south side of the Phillipe Zinda Kabore School. It is currently closed for extensive renovations, which began in 2009 and have no designated date for completion...
: exhibits all the musical instruments of Burkina Faso. - Musée de ManegaMusée de ManegaMusée de Manega or Manega Museum is a museum located 55 km northwest of the city Ouagadougou, in the village of Manega, Burkina Faso...
: also exhibits musical instruments of Burkina Faso, Mossi rifles and other cultural items. Located 55 km (34 mi) northwest of the city
Sights of Ouagadougou
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Education
Though literacy in Ouagadougou is not high, there are two universities in the city. The largest college is the state University of OuagadougouUniversity of Ouagadougou
Founded in 1974, the University of Ouagadougou is located in the area of Zogona in Ouagadougou. But in 1995 a second campus for professional education known as University Polytechnique of Bobo was opened in the city of Bobo Dioulasso and a third campus for teacher training in Koudougou in 1996...
which was founded in 1974. The official language in the city is French and the principal local languages are More
More language
The Mossi language, Mòoré is one of two official regional languages of Burkina Faso, closely related and mutually intelligible with the Dagbani language spoken in northern Ghana...
, Dyula
Dioula language
Jula is a Mande language spoken in Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Mali. It is one of the Manding languages, and is most closely related to Bambara, being mutually intelligible with Bambara as well as Malinke. It is a trade language in West Africa and is spoken by millions of people, either as a...
and Fulfulde
Fula language
The Fula or Fulani language is a language of West Africa. It is spoken as a first language by the and related groups from Senegambia and Guinea to Cameroon and Sudan...
. The bilingual program in schools (French plus one of the local languages) was established in 1994.
Sport, culture, and leisure
A wide array of sports, including association football, basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, is played by Ouagadougou inhabitants. There are sports tournaments and activities organized by the local authorities.
There are a number of cultural and art venues, such as the Maison du Peuple and Salle des Banquets, in addition to performances of many genres of music, including traditional folk music, modern music, and rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
.
Art and crafts
Several international festivals and activities are organized within the municipality, such as FESPACO (Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou), which is Africa's largest festival of this type, SIAOSIAO
Held biennially in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital, the International Art and Craft Fair, Ouagadougou--better known by its French name as SIAO is one of Africa's most important trade shows for art and handicrafts.-Why the International Art and Craft Fair, Ouagadougou:The Ouagadougou...
(International Art and Craft Fair), FESPAM (Pan-African Music Festival), FITMO (International Theatre and Marionnette Festival) and FESTIVO.
Health
Ouagadougou has both state and private hospitals. The two state hospitals in the city are the Centre hospitalier national Yalgado Ouedraogo (CHNYO) and the Centre hospitalier national pédiatrique Charles de Gaulle (CHNP-CDG), but there are also private hospitals. Despite that, the local population still largely trusts traditional local medicine and the "pharmacopée".Transport
Many residents travel on motorcycles and mopeds. The large private vendor of motorcycles JC Megamonde sells 50,000 motorbikes and mopeds every year.Ouagadougou's citizens also travel in green cabs
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
, which take their passengers anywhere in town for 200 to 400 CFA
CFA franc
The CFA franc is the name of two currencies used in Africa which are guaranteed by the French treasury. The two CFA franc currencies are the West African CFA franc and the Central African CFA franc...
, but the price is higher after 10:00 p.m. and can then reach 1000CFA
CFA franc
The CFA franc is the name of two currencies used in Africa which are guaranteed by the French treasury. The two CFA franc currencies are the West African CFA franc and the Central African CFA franc...
.
Ouagadougou Airport
Ouagadougou Airport
Ouagadougou Airport is an airport located in the centre of the city of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso.In 2004, the airport served 241,466 passengers .-Airlines and destinations:...
(code OUA) serves the area with flights to West Africa and Europe. Air Burkina
Air Burkina
Air Burkina is an airline headquartered in the Air Burkina Storey Building in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. It is the national airline, operating scheduled services to one domestic destination , as well as regional services to Togo, Benin, Mali, Niger, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana...
has its head office in the Air Burkina Storey Building in Ouagadougou.
Ouagadougou is connected by rail to Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
and to Kaya
Kaya, Burkina Faso
Kaya is the eighth largest city in Burkina Faso, lying north east of Ouagadougou, to which it is connected by railway. It is a centre for weaving and tanning....
in the north of Burkina Faso. See Rail transport in Burkina Faso
Rail transport in Burkina Faso
There are 622 kilometres of gauge railway in Burkina Faso, of which 517 km run from Ouagadougou to Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire; and 105 km from Ouagadougou to Kaya.Burkina Faso is landlocked; the railway to Abidjan provides access to the sea....
.
Twin towns — Sister cities
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External links
- Ouagadougou Official site of the government of Ouagadougou
- The plan of Ouagdougou
- Falling Rain Genomics: World Index, and other pages
- Burkina-Faso: Le plan de Ouagadougou.(2004). Le plan de Ouagadougou(Burkina-Faso)