Yatenga is one of the provinces of Burkina Faso , located in the Nord Region of the country. In modern Yatenga, the most prominent city is Ouahigouya (also known as Waiguya). This city served as the capital of the kingdom of Yatenga, a powerful kingdom out of the many Mossi kingdoms , but its influence decreased in the century following French colonisation. The city is famed today for being home to the Naba 's (traditional kings) compound and the tomb of Naba Kango .
25-591: Yatenge was historically a powerful kingdom in the region. It was founded as a Mossi state along with Ouagadougou , Tenkodogo , and Gourma by invaders from neighbouring Ghana . Each of the Mossi states (including Yatenga) possessed a strong military that was able to repel attacks from hostile tribes and nations. When the European powers began their scramble for territory in Africa in the 19th century, France brokered
50-595: A deal making Yatenga a French protectorate . Following the annexation of the other Mossi states, the area was governed as Upper Volta until the nation's independence on August 5, 1960. In the modern day, the Kingdom of Yatenga continues on as a traditional monarchy within Burkina Faso. On 5 September 2023, seventeen Burkinabé soldiers , thirty-six VDP militiamen , and several dozen Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin militants were killed during fighting in
75-701: A government counterattack, a total of 176 hostages were released the morning after the initial attack. Three of the perpetrators were also killed. The jihadist insurgency continued with major attacks in 2017 and 2018 . Ouagadougou's climate is hot semi-arid ( BSh ) under Köppen-Geiger classification , and closely borders with tropical wet and dry ( Aw ). The city is part of the Sudano-Sahelian area, with annual rainfall of about 800 mm (31 in). The rainy season stretches from May to September, with an average temperature of 28 °C (82.4 °F). The cool season runs from October to February, with
100-595: 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 centre of the city, near the "Nation Unies' crossroads". 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 . Several international festivals and activities are organized within
125-482: A minimum average temperature of 16 °C (60.8 °F). The maximum temperature during the hot season, which runs from March to April, can reach 43 °C (109.4 °F). The harmattan (a dry wind) and the West African Monsoon are the two main factors that determine Ouagadougou's climate. Being further north, Ouagadougou's warmest months are slightly hotter and drier than those of Bobo-Dioulasso ,
150-466: A wide array of sports, including association football, basketball, and volleyball. There are tournaments and activities organized by the local authorities. The Stade du 4-Août is the home of Étoile Filante de Ouagadougou , the city's main football team. Ouagadougou has both state and private hospitals. The two state hospitals in the city are the Centre hospitalier national Yalgado Ouedraogo (CHNYO) and
175-455: Is twinned with: The Bangr-Weoogo urban park (area: 2.63 km (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,
200-556: Is based on industry and commerce. Some industrial facilities have relocated from Bobo-Dioulasso to Ouagadougou, which has made the city an important industrial centre of Burkina Faso. The industrial areas of Kossodo and Gounghin are home to several processing plants and factories. The industry of Ouagadougou is sector that fuels urban growth, as people move to the city from the countryside to find employment in industry. The Copromof workshop in Ouagadougou sews cotton lingerie for
225-477: Is connected by passenger rail service to Bobo-Dioulasso , Koudougou and Ivory Coast . As of June 2014, Sitarail operates a passenger train three times a week along the route from Ouagadougou to Abidjan. There are freight services to Kaya in the north of Burkina Faso and in 2014 plans were announced to revive freight services to the Manganese mine at Tambao starting in 2016. The economy of Ouagadougou
250-510: Is largely because Ouagadougou constitutes a 'cultural centre' by merit of holding the SIAO (International Arts and Crafts fair) and the FESPACO (Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou). Moreover, the villages' growing affluence allows for such investment, and the population's rapid growth necessitates it. Though literacy in Ouagadougou is not high, there are three universities in
275-496: Is served by an international airport and is linked by rail to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast and, for freight only, to Kaya . There are several highways linking the city to Niamey , Niger , south to Ghana, and southwest to Ivory Coast . Ouagadougou has one of West Africa's largest markets, which burned down in 2003 and has since reopened with better facilities and improved fire-prevention measures. Other attractions include
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#1732772865950300-542: Is the capital of Burkina Faso , and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic centre of the nation. It is also the country's largest city , with a population of 2,415,266 in 2019. 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 orthography common in former French African colonies . Ouagadougou's primary industries are food processing and textiles . It
325-466: Is widespread and concentrated around markets and major roads, as well as in outlets in neighborhoods. There are also instances of modern economic practices with workplaces having qualified, stable labor forces, or more traditional forms of business such as family businesses. The tertiary sector is also an important part of the economy. This comprises communications, banking, transport, bars, restaurants, hotels, as well as administrative jobs. Ouagadougou
350-541: The 14th century, conquered Wagadugu around the same time they raided Walata , contributing to the decline of the Mali Empire . According to legend, the city was taken by Oubri, a grandson of Ouedraogo . The eponymous Wagadugu Kingdom was founded in the 15th century, which became the main center of the Mossi States around 1495. The 10th Moro Naba, Nyadfo, was the first Moro-Naba to live at Ouagadougou, in
375-530: The Centre hospitalier national pédiatrique Charles de Gaulle (CHNP-CDG). Despite that, the local population still largely can only afford traditional local medicine and the "pharmacopée". Thomas Sankara International Airport Ouagadougou (code OUA) serves the area with flights to West Africa and Europe . Air Burkina has its head office in the Air Burkina Storey Building (French: Immeuble Air Burkina ) in Ouagadougou. Ouagadougou
400-550: The French label "Atelier Augusti." Ouagadougou is an important commercial centre. It is a centre where goods are collected and directed to rural areas. With a large consumer base, large amounts of energy sources, raw materials for buildings, agricultural products and livestock products are imported to the city. The economy is dominated by the informal sector , which is characterized by petty commodity production, and workers not necessarily having salaries. Traditional, informal trade
425-964: The National Museum of Burkina Faso, the Moro-Naba Palace (site of the Moro-Naba Ceremony ), the National Museum of Music , and several craft markets. Ouagadougou was founded possibly as early as 1050 CE by the Soninke Wangara diaspora from the Ghana Empire , also known as Wagadu. The name Wagadugu means 'home of the Wagu', the Soninke subgroup that ruled Ghana. Ouagadougou is a Francophone spelling of this name. The Mossi people , moving north in
450-514: The Province . In 2011 the province had 588 primary schools and 57 secondary schools. In 2011 the province had 60 health and social promotion centres ( Centres de santé et de promotion sociale ), 20 doctors and 207 nurses. The Yatenga region is renowned for its unique style of Mossi masks . They are tall, vertically oriented, and concave-faced. They are considered to be some of the best examples of Mossi art available today. A prominent dance of
475-470: The Yatenga region is the liwaga . Yatenga is divided into 13 departments: 13°35′N 2°25′W / 13.583°N 2.417°W / 13.583; -2.417 Ouagadougou Ouagadougou or Wagadugu ( / ˌ w ɑː ɡ ə ˈ d uː ɡ uː / , Mossi : Waogdgo Mossi: [ˈwɔɣədəɣʊ] , Dyula : Wagadugu , French : Ouagadougou French: [waɡaduɡu] )
500-463: The city. The largest is the state University of Ouagadougou , which was founded in 1974. In 2010 it had around 40,000 students (83% of the national population of university students). The city's official language is French and the principal local languages are More , Dyula and Fulfulde . The bilingual program in schools (French plus one of the local languages) was established in 1994. International schools include: Ouagadougou's inhabitants play
525-597: The colonial administration made Ouagadougou the capital of the Upper Volta territory, extensively rebuilding the town. In 1954 the railroad line from Ivory Coast reached the city, spurring massive population growth. On 15 January 2016, gunmen armed with heavy weapons attacked central Ouagadougou at the Cappuccino restaurant and the Splendid Hotel. 28 people were killed, and at least 56 wounded; after
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#1732772865950550-430: The country's second most populous city. Ouagadougou's first municipal elections were held in 1956. 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. Ouagadougou's communes have invested in huge city-management projects. This
575-466: The middle of the 17th century. It became the permanent capital under the 21st Moro Naba, Zombre, a century later. The Moro-Naba Ceremony is still performed every Friday by the Moro-Naba and his court. The 24th Moro Naba, Doulougou, built the first mosque in Ouagadougou early in the nineteenth century. On September 5th 1896 French forces entered Ouagadougou and burned the city to the ground. In 1919
600-620: The municipality, such as FESPACO (Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou), which is Africa's largest festival of this type, SIAO (International Art and Craft Fair), FESPAM (Pan-African Music Festival), FITMO (International Theatre and Marionnette Festival) and FESTIVO. The most common places of worship are Muslim mosques. There are also numerous Christian churches: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ouagadougou ( Catholic Church ), Association of Reformed Evangelical Church of Burkina Faso ( World Communion of Reformed Churches ), Assemblies of God , Deeper Life Bible Church , and
625-481: 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 ha (20 acres) and also serves as a museum for the country's history. "Jardin de l'amitié Ouaga-Loudun" (Garden of Ouaga-Loudun Friendship), with
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