Wondering how to say the name of this wonderful city? It’s pronounced Wah-gah-doo-goo, although it’s often shortened to Ouaga, pronounced Wah-gah.
The total land area of Ouagadougou is 1,083 square miles (2,805 square kilometres)…
…that’s around 1.5 times the size of Greater London.
Flag of Burkina Faso
Ouagadougou’s population was 2,741,000 in 2015…
…that’s less than 1/3 of the population of Greater London!
That gives it a population density of around 2,531 residents per square mile.
Ouagadougou is located 1,001 ft above sea level.
Residents of Ouagadougou are known as Burkinabe.
Burkinabe living in Ouagadougou enjoy a hot, semi-arid climate with three seasons; hot, cold and rainy! The average annual temperature is 28°C, although temperatures can reach up to 48°C!
Looking to fly yourself to Ouagadougou? You’ll need the coordinates of 12.3572° N, 1.5353° W.
Make sure you visit Ouagadougou Cathedral if you’re in Ouagadougou; it’s a mud brick cathedral which was built in the 1930’s and is one of the largest cathedrals in West Africa! Despite being constructed from mud brick, the architecture is stunningly intricate and the interior is light and airy.
Monument in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Social intricacies
The official language of Ouagadougou is French.
Did you know that Ouagadougou apparently translates to ‘You are welcome here at home with us’? Lovely!
West African CFA Franc is the official currency here.
Burkina Faso welcomed 218,000 tourists into the country in 2013, many of whom visited Ouagadougou for its incredible wildlife park and stunning architecture.
Do you know any interesting facts about Ouagadougou? Share them in the comments below!
