Ouagadougou

**Ouagadougou** (; Mossi: ) is the caipital o Burkina Faso an the admeenistrative, communications, cultural an economic centre o the naition. It is an aa the kintra's lairgest ceety, wi a population o 1,475,223 (2006). The ceety's name is aften shortened tae *Ouaga*. The indwallers are cried *ouagalais*. The spellin o the name *Ouagadougou* is derived frae the French orthography common in umwhile French African colonies. If Inglis orthography wur uised (as in Ghana or Nigerie), the spellin wad be *Wagadugu*.

Ouagadougou's primary industries are fuid processin an textiles. It is served bi an internaitional airport, rail links tae Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire an tae Kaya in the north o Burkina, an a heich-gate tae Niamey, Niger. Ouagadougou wis the steid o Ouagadougou grand mercat, ane o the lairgest mercats in Wast Africae, which burned in 2003 an remains closed. Ither attractions include the Naitional Museum o Burkina Faso, the Moro-Naba Palace (steid o the Moro-Naba Ceremony), the Naitional Museum o Muisic, an several craft mercats.

## History

The name *Ouagadougou* dates back tae the 15t century when the Ninsi tribes inhabitit the aurie. They wur in constant conflict till 1441 when Wubri, a Yonyonse hero an an important figur in Burkina Faso’s history, led his tribe tae victory. He then renamed the aurie frae “Kumbee-Tenga,” as the Ninsi haed cried it, tae “Wogodogo,” meanin "where fowk get honor an respect." *Ouagadougou* is a Francophone o Wogodogo.

The ceety became the caipital o the Mossi Empire in 1441 an wis the permanent residence o the Mossi emperors (Moro-Naba) frae 1681. The Moro-Naba Ceremony is still performed ivery Friday bi the Moro-Naba an his court. The French made Ouagadougou the caipital o the Upper Volta territory (basically the same aurie as contemporary independent Burkina Faso) in 1919. In 1954 the railwey line frae Côte d'Ivoire reached the ceety. The population o Ouagadougou doubled frae 1954 tae 1960 an haes been doublin syne aboot ivery ten years.

## Geography
Ouagadougou, situatit on the central plateau (12.4° N 1.5° W), grew aroond the imperial palace o the Mogho Naaba. Being an admeenistrative centre o colonial rule, it became an important urban centre in the post-colonial era. First the caipital o the Mossi Kinricks an later o Upper Volta an Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou became a veritable communal centre in 1995.

## Government
The first municipal elections wur held in 1956.

Ouagadougou is govrened bi a mayor, who is electit for a five-year term, twa senior councillors, an 90 cooncillors.

The ceety is dividit intae five arrondissements, consistin o 30 sectors, which are subdividit intae destricts. Destricts o Ouagadougou include Gounghin, Kamsaoghin, Koulouba, Moemmin, Niogsin, Paspanga, Peuloghin, Bilbalogho, an Tiendpalogo. Seiventeen veelages comprise the Ouagadougou metropolitan aurie, which is aboot 219.3&nbsp;km².

The population o this aurie is estimatit tae be 1,475,000 indwallers, 48% o which are men an 52% weemen. The rural population is aboot 5% an the urban population aboot 95% o the total, an the density is 6,727 indwallers per square kilometer, accordin tae 2006 census.

Concernin ceety management, the communes o Ouagadougou hae made the decision tae invest in huge projects. This is lairgely acause Ouagadougou constitutes a 'cultural centre' bi merit o hauldin the SIAO (Internaitional Airts an Crafts fair) an the FESPACO (Panafrican Film an Telly Festival o Ouagadougou). Mairower, the growin affluence o the veelages allou for such investment, an the fact that the population is growin rapidly necessitates it.

## Climate
The climate o Ouagadougou is hot. Unner the Köppen climate classification the ceety featurs a tropical savanna climate. The ceety is pairt o the Soudano-Sahelian aurie, wi a rainfaw o aboot 900&nbsp;mm (35&nbsp;in) per year. The rainy saison stretches frae Mey tae October, wi an average temperatur o 30&nbsp;°C (86&nbsp;°F). The cauld saison runs frae December tae Januar, wi a minimum temperatur o 19&nbsp;°C (66&nbsp;°F). The maximum temperatur durin the hot saison, which runs frae Mairch tae Mey, can reach 45&nbsp;°C (113&nbsp;°F). The harmattan (a dry wind) an the monsuin are the twa main factors that determine Ouagadougou's climate."

## Tourism
### Parks

The Bangr-Weoogo urban pairk (aurie: 2.63 km2 (1 sq mi)), afore colonialism, belanged tae the Mosse chiefs. Considerin it a sacred forest, mony went there for traditional initiations or for refuge. The French colonists, disregardin its local significance an history, established it as a pairk in the 1930s. In 1985, renovations wur done in the pairk. In January 2001, the pairk wis renamed “Parc Urbain Bangr-Weoogo,” meanin "the urban pairk o the forest o knowledge."

Anither notable pairk in Ouagadougou is the “L’Unité Pédagogique”, which shelters animals in a semi-free state. This botanic gairden/biosphere seestem stretches ower 8 hectares (20 acres) an an aw serves as a museum for the kintra’s history.

“Jardin de l’amitié Ouaga-Loudun” (Garden o Ouaga-Loudun Friendship), wi a green space that wis renovatit in 1996, is a seembol o the twin-ceety relationship atween Ouagadougou an Loudun in Fraunce. It is situatit in the centre o the ceety, near the “Naition Unies’ crossroads.”

### Ither steids

“Naba Koom” is a statue depictin a wumman handlin a calabash tae pour watter. The 6-metre (20&nbsp;ft) heich statue faces the railway station, walcomin travellers intae Ouaga. The place bears the name o an important chief in Burkina Faso’s history.

“Laongo”, 30&nbsp;km (19&nbsp;mi) east o the ceety, features enormous granite slabs that wur designed bi various sculptors. The exhibit displays wirks o airt frae five continents.

“La Place du Grand Lyon” is a monument that reflects the relationship atween Burkina Faso’s caipital an Lyon in Fraunce. It is locatit near the French cultural Centre Georges Méliès an featurs an imposin lion.
A zoo cried “Parc Animalier de Ziniaré” is locatit 30&nbsp;km (19&nbsp;mi) east o the ceety in the hametoun o the preses.

* Naitional Museum o Music: exhibits aw the muisical instruments o Burkina Faso.
* Musée de Manega: an aa exhibits musical instruments o Burkina Faso, Mossi rifles an ither cultural items. Located 55&nbsp;km (34&nbsp;mi) northwast o the ceety

### Sichts o Ouagadougou

## Social life an education
### Education
Though literacy in Ouagadougou is no heich, thare are ten universities in the ceety. The lairgest college is the state University o Ouagadougou which wis foondit in 1974. The offeecial leid in the ceety is French an the principal local leids are More, Dyula an Fulfulde. The bilingual program in schuils (French plus ane o the local leids) wis established in 1994.

### Sport, cultur, an leisur
A wide array o sports, includin association fitbaw, basketbaw, an volleybaw, is played bi Ouagadougou indwallers. Thare are sports tournaments an activities organized bi the local authorities.

Thare are a nummer o cultural an airt venues, such as the Maison du Peuple an Salle des Banquets, in addition tae performances o mony genres o muisic, includin traditional fowk muisic, modren muisic, an rap.

### Airt an crafts

Several internaitional festivals an activities are organized athin the municipality, such as FESPACO (Panafrican Film an Television Festival o Ouagadougou), which is Africae's lairgest festival o this type, SIAO (Internaitional Airt an Craft Fair), FESPAM (Pan-African Muisic Festival), FITMO (Internaitional Theatre an Marionnette Festival) an FESTIVO.

## Health

Ouagadougou haes baith state an private hospitals. The twa state hospitals in the ceety are the Centre hospitalier naitional Yalgado Ouedraogo (CHNYO) an the Centre hospitalier naitional pédiatrique Charles de Gaulle (CHNP-CDG), but thare are an aa private hospitals. Despite that, the local population still lairgely trusts traditional local medicine an the “pharmacopée.”

## Transport

Mony residents travel on motorcycles an mopeds. The lairge private vendor o motorcycles JC Megamonde sells 50,000 motorbikes an mopeds ivery year.

Ouagadougou's citizens an aa travel in green cabs, which take their passengers anywhere in toun for 200 tae 400 CFA, but the price is heicher efter 10:00 p.m. an can then reach 1000CFA.

Ouagadougou Airport (code OUA) serves the aurie wi flichts tae Wast Africae an Europe.
Air Burkina haes its heid office in the Air Burkina Storey Building () in Ouagadougou.

Ouagadougou is connectit bi rail tae Côte d'Ivoire an tae Kaya in the north o Burkina Faso. See Rail transport in Burkina Faso.

## Internaitional relations
### Twin touns — Sister ceeties

## References

## Freemit airtins

*Ouagadougou  Offeecial steid o the govrenment o Ouagadougou
*The plan o Ouagdougou 
*Falling Rain Genomics: Warld Index, an ither pages
* 
*Burkina-Faso: Le plan de Ouagadougou.(2004). Le plan de Ouagadougou(Burkina-Faso)