Boucle du Mouhoun

Boucle du Mouhoun
Region
Trucks loaded with cotton in Dédougou
Location in Burkina Faso
Coordinates: 12°30′N 3°30′W / 12.500°N 3.500°W / 12.500; -3.500Coordinates: 12°30′N 3°30′W / 12.500°N 3.500°W / 12.500; -3.500
Country	Burkina Faso
Capital	Dédougou
Area
• Total	34,333 km2 (13,256 sq mi)
Population (2006)
• Total	1,434,847
Time zone	GMT 0 (UTC+0)

Boucle du Mouhoun is one of Burkina Faso's 13 administrative regions. It was created on 2 July 2001 and had a population of 1,434,847 in 2006. It is the 2nd most populous region in Burkina Faso after Centre Region, and contains 10.5% of all Burkinabé. The region's capital is Dédougou. Six provinces make up the Boucle du Mouhoun region – Balé, Banwa, Kossi, Mouhoun, Nayala, and Sourou.

As of 2010, the population of the region was 1,586,748 with 50.63 per cent females. The population in the region was 10.09 per cent of the total population of the country. The coverage of cereal need compared to the total production of the region was 187.00 per cent. As of 2007, the literacy rate in the region was 23.2 per cent, compared to a national average of 28.3 per cent.

Most of Burkino Faso is a wide plateau formed by riverine systems and is called falaise de Banfora. There are three major rivers, the Red Volta, Black Volta and White Volta, which cuts through different valleys. The climate is generally hot, with unreliable rains across different seasons. Gold and quartz are common minerals found across the country, while manganese deposits are also common. The dry season is usually from October to May and rains are common during the wet season from June to September. The soil texture is porous and hence the yield is also poor. The average elevation is around 200 m (660 ft) to 300 m (980 ft) above mean sea level. Among West African countries, Burkino Faso has the largest elephant population and the country is replete with game reserves. The southern regions are more tropical in nature and have Savannah and forests. The principal river is the Black Volta, that originates in the southern region and drains into Ghana. The areas near the rivers usually have flies like tsete and similium, which are carriers of sleep sickness and river blindness. The average rainfall in the region is around 100 cm (39 in) compared to northern regions that receive only 25 cm (9.8 in) rainfall.