Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the
administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It
is also the country's largest city. 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.
Ouagadougou's
primary industries are food processing and textiles.
It is served by an international airport -
Ouagadougou Airport (code OUA) serves the area with flights to West Africa and
Europe; rail links to Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire and to Kaya in the north of
Burkina, and a highway to Niamey, Niger. Ouagadougou was the site of
Ouagadougou grand market, one of the largest markets in West Africa, which
burned in 2003 and remains closed. Other attractions include the National
Museum of Burkina Faso, the Moro-Naba Palace (site of the Moro-Naba Ceremony),
the National Museum of Music, and several craft markets.The climate of Ouagadougou is hot. Under the
Köppen climate classification the city features a tropical savanna climate. The
city is part of the Soudano-Sahelian area, with a rainfall of about 900 mm (35
in) per year. The rainy season stretches from May to October, with an average
temperature of 30 °C (86 °F). The cold season runs from December to January,
with a minimum temperature of 19 °C (66 °F).