Ouagadougou was the site of Islamist attacks on January 15, 2016 in which 30 people were killed and at least 56 others were injured. Government forces ended the siege the next morning after three perpetrators were killed. The death toll could have been much higher given that 176 hostages were freed. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attacks which breeched Ouagadougou’s Cappuccino restaurant and Splendid Hotel.
Burkina Faso exported an estimated US$2.6 billion worth of goods around the globe in 2016. Burkina Faso’s highest-value exports are gold, cotton, miscellaneous oil seeds, coconuts and zinc according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: Quick Reference
Geography
Capital landmarks: Cathedral of Ouagadougou, Grande Mosque of Ouagadougou, Moro-Naba Palace and the National Museum of Burkina Faso
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso:
- Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, president (born Apr. 25, 1957)
- Jacky Ido, actor & director (born May 14, 1977)
- Jeanne d’Arc Yaméogo, actress (born Jan. 31, 1975)
- Simon Compaoré, former mayor (born Sep. 19, 1952)
- Apolline Traoré, director (born 1976)
- Serge Bambara, hip hop artist & actor (born Oct. 24, 1971)
- Seydou Boro, actor, dancer & choreographer (born Feb. 20, 1968)
- Frédéric Guirma, former politician & ambassador (born Apr. 27, 1931)
- Marie Françoise Ouedraogo, parliamentarian & mathematician (born Dec. 3, 1967)
- Salimata Sawadogo, magistrate & ambassador (born Dec. 31, 1958)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Ouagadougou resident: Ouagalese (ouagalais in French)
Population: 1,626,950 (Ouagadougou city)
Density: 19,208 people per square mile (7,416 per square kilometer)
Population: 2,825,000 (Ouagadougou built-up urbanized areas)
Density: 15,694 people per square mile (6,060 per square kilometer)
Population: 19,512,533 (Burkina Faso)
Density: 185 people per square mile (71 per square kilometer)
Financial
GDP:US$30.8 billion in 2015 (for Burkina Faso, per CIA World Factbook)
GDP per person: $1,578
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Ouagadougou were unavailable.
Official currency used in Ouagadougou: West African CFA franc
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data). Accessed on February 14, 2017
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas. Accessed on February 14, 2017
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition. Accessed on February 14, 2017
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition. Accessed on February 14, 2017
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 2, 2017
Official Government Website, National Agency for Promotion of ICT, Burkina Faso. Accessed on February 14, 2017
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags. Accessed on February 14, 2017
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Burkina Faso. Accessed on February 14, 2017
Wikipedia, Ouagadougou. Accessed on February 14, 2017
Wikipedia, 2016 Ouagadougou attacks . Accessed on February 14, 2017
Ouagadougou city limits contain an area measuring 85 square miles (219 square kilometers) within which approximately 1.6 million people live.
In addition to the city, the Ouagadougou urbanized area includes at least 17 villages plus other built-up locations that cover a total estimated 180 square miles (466 square kilometers).
At the country level, Burkina Faso’s land area covers 105,715 square miles (273,800 square kilometers). The national population count was 19.5 million inhabitants as of July 2016.
Population density is higher within Burkina Faso’s capital city limits with an average 19,200 Ouagaleses per square mile (7,400 per square kilometer).
Density is modestly lower when Ouagadougou’s built-up urban areas are added in, averaging 15,700 inhabitants per square mile (6,100 per square kilometer).
For Burkina Faso overall, population density drops to an average 185 residents per square mile (71 per square kilometer).
Residents celebrate Republic Day each December 11.