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Ouahigouya (Mossi: Wayugyã) is a city in northern Burkina Faso, situated 182 kilometres northwest of Ouagadougou. It is the capital of the Yatenga Province and one of its subdivisions the Ouahigouya Department. It is also the biggest town in the Nord Region and the fourth largest city in the country with a population of 124,587 (2019)[1]
Ouahigouya
Wayugyã (Mossi) | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Ouahigouya Location within Burkina Faso, French West Africa | |
| Coordinates: 13°35′N 2°25′W / 13.583°N 2.417°W | |
| Country |  Burkina Faso |
| Region | Nord Region |
| Province | Yatenga Province |
| Founded | 1757 |
| Elevation | 315 m (1,033 ft) |
| Population (2019 census)[1] | |
| • Total | 124,587 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
The city itself has a stadium, a private non-profit Paediatric Hospital with 36 beds for giving birth and 24 beds for children suffering of severe malnutrition, a post office with internet access and at least one Ecobank bank branch.
History
editThe city was founded in 1757 as the capital of Yatenga one of a number of Mossi Kingdoms. The city still bears testimony to its role as capital of the Yatenga Kingdom in its name, the meaning of which is come and prostrate yourselves.
In the Christmas War of 1985, the city's marketplace was bombed by Malian forces, almost 100 people being killed.
Economy
editMainly of an agriculturally based economy, Ouahigouya also has some commerce and craft industry. The two dams just north and west of the town permit it to pursue some vegetable planting aided by irrigation, such as tomatoes, carrots, onions and mainly potatoes. But as a whole both the region and the city are heavily dependent on rainfall and it is according to it that the population's well-being mostly depends on. Millet and sorghum though are the basis of the local diet, much like the surrounding regions.
The small craft industry here is mainly focused on leather and tanneries. The little industry in the region is mostly geared towards gold prospecting, and is carried out by a large company. In terms of commerce, the city takes advantage of its relative ease of access to the country's capital, Ouagadougou, to buy manufactured products and resell to the local economy. This is greatly facilitated by the asphalted road linking the two cities.
Places of interest
editFeatures of Ouahigouya include Naaba Kango's tomb, the Yatenga Naba's compound and an artificial lake.
Geography
editClimate
editClassified by Köppen-Geiger system as hot semi-arid (BSh).
| Climate data for Ouahigouya (1991–2020, extremes 1920–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 40.0 (104.0) |
42.5 (108.5) |
44.3 (111.7) |
45.5 (113.9) |
48.8 (119.8) |
48.0 (118.4) |
40.8 (105.4) |
38.6 (101.5) |
41.3 (106.3) |
41.8 (107.2) |
40.6 (105.1) |
43.6 (110.5) |
48.8 (119.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.3 (90.1) |
35.6 (96.1) |
39.0 (102.2) |
40.8 (105.4) |
40.0 (104.0) |
37.0 (98.6) |
33.7 (92.7) |
31.8 (89.2) |
33.5 (92.3) |
37.0 (98.6) |
36.8 (98.2) |
33.6 (92.5) |
35.9 (96.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 24.6 (76.3) |
27.7 (81.9) |
31.5 (88.7) |
33.9 (93.0) |
33.5 (92.3) |
31.1 (88.0) |
28.3 (82.9) |
26.8 (80.2) |
27.8 (82.0) |
29.9 (85.8) |
28.6 (83.5) |
25.6 (78.1) |
29.1 (84.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.7 (63.9) |
20.4 (68.7) |
24.4 (75.9) |
27.5 (81.5) |
28.0 (82.4) |
26.0 (78.8) |
23.9 (75.0) |
23.0 (73.4) |
23.4 (74.1) |
24.1 (75.4) |
21.3 (70.3) |
18.4 (65.1) |
23.2 (73.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 8.5 (47.3) |
11.2 (52.2) |
13.1 (55.6) |
13.5 (56.3) |
17.0 (62.6) |
15.7 (60.3) |
17.9 (64.2) |
18.6 (65.5) |
18.1 (64.6) |
16.2 (61.2) |
11.2 (52.2) |
10.0 (50.0) |
8.5 (47.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.1 (0.00) |
0.1 (0.00) |
1.3 (0.05) |
7.1 (0.28) |
39.6 (1.56) |
107.0 (4.21) |
170.4 (6.71) |
238.9 (9.41) |
130.4 (5.13) |
38.8 (1.53) |
1.1 (0.04) |
0.7 (0.03) |
734.8 (28.93) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 7.1 | 10.9 | 13.1 | 9.1 | 3.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 48.8 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 26 | 22 | 26 | 35 | 52 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 77 | 62 | 40 | 29 | 49 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 276.5 | 259.1 | 266.3 | 249.4 | 265.9 | 246.6 | 246.5 | 226.4 | 246.1 | 280.2 | 285.0 | 284.7 | 3,132.7 |
| Source 1: World Meteorological Organization,[2] Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)[3] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity, 1951–1967)[4][5][a] | |||||||||||||
Sister Cities
editOuahigouya has one sister city:[6]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Station ID for Ouahigouya is 65502 Use this station ID to locate the sunshine duration
References
edit- ^ a b Citypopulation.de Population of the major cities in Burkina Faso
- ^ "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Fada N'gourma". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
- ^ "Station Ouahigouya" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
- ^ "Klimatafel von Ouahigouya / Burkina Faso (Obervolta)" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
- ^ "Station 65502: Ouahigouya". Global station data 1961–1990—Sunshine Duration. Deutscher Wetterdienst. Archived from the original on 2017-10-17. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-24. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
edit- Patricia Bourcillier, « Il était une fois à Ouahigouya », Éditions Steinhäuser, Wuppertal, 2024, ISBN 978-3910263307 - Téléchargement gratuit du PDF [1] (318 pages)
Ouahigouya travel guide from Wikivoyage
