Browse / Burkina Faso / Centre / Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou
Centrecity
Ouagadougou
Total population
1,915,102
Founded
1050
Demographic figures from INSD Burkina Faso. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Sister cities
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Ouagadougou or Wagadugu is the capital and largest city of Burkina Faso, and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic centre of the nation. It had 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.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
Ouagadougou was founded possibly as early as 1050 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 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 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. and at least 56 wounded; after 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.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
Air quality
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Earthquake history
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here
People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.
Nearby places in Centre
Geography & sun
Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.
Nearby airports
Public attention
Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.
Books about Ouagadougou
Search results from Open Library.
Recent natural events nearby
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species
Events
Notable, recurring, and historical events associated with Ouagadougou, sourced from Wikidata.
- AES Energy, Mining and Hydrocarbons WeekSep 14, 2026planned event
regional event organized by the Confederation of Sahel States dedicated to energy, mining and hydrocarbons
- Oct 17, 2024
- Oct 19, 2023
- Jan 1, 2023
- Dec 1, 2022
- Oct 14, 2021
- Oct 10, 2019
- Q130469783Jan 1, 2019recurring event edition
- Jan 1, 2018
- African Musical MeetingsJan 1, 2018annual event
annual conference that brings together music professionals from Africa and beyond in Burkina Faso
- Q141623969Jan 1, 2014award ceremony
- National Digital Week of Burkina FasoJan 1, 2003planned event
Annual Burkinabe event dedicated to the promotion of digital technologies
- Q141623946planned event
- National Forum of Human Rights Defendersplanned event
National framework for consultation, exchange and advocacy bringing together human rights defenders in Burkina Faso
- Q125501852festival
- Q125635213festival
- Q140298556festival
- Q131382651annual event
Source: Wikidata (CC0).
Gallery
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • Wikidata
- • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
- • Wikipedia Pageviews API
- • Open Library