Ouagadougou

Ouagadougou (pronounced Awɑgədugu) is the capital of Burkina Faso. It is the country's largest city, with a population of 960,116 (as of 2000) and is the administrative, communications, cultural and economic centre of the nation. The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The name Ouagadougou goes back to the 15th century, when at that time, two different tribes, the Yonyonse and the Ninsi, inhabited the area. They were in constant conflict. This ended in 1441 when Wubri, a Yonyonse hero and an important figure in Burkina Faso’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 corruption of Wogodogo.

Located in the centre of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou has wide tree-lined boulevards and several interesting sights including the National Museum of Arts and Craft, the Nouveau Grand Marche and the Moro Naba Palace. A well-known site in Ouagadougou is the Bangr-Weoogo urban park (area: 2.63 km²). Before colonialism, it belonged to the Mossi chiefs (the Mossi are now considered to be the largest ethnic group in the nation). Considering it as 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, the park began renovations. In January 2001 the forest was renamed “Parc Urbain Bangr-Weoogo”, meaning "the urban park of the forest of knowledge." Because of the many changes, new regulations have been put in place along with a new set of objectives for the park. Another notable park in the capital city is the “L’Unité Pédagogique” which shelters animals in a semi-freedom state. This botanic garden/biosphere system stretches out over 80,000 m², and also serves as a museum for the country’s history.

Ouagadougou is served by an international airport, rail links to Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire and to Kaya in the north of Burkina, and a highway to Niamey, Niger. Being such a focal point, there are many cinemas, nightclubs and French, American and Zaka cultural centres.