Centre-Ouest Region

Centre-Ouest
Region
The Grand Marché in Koudougou, the region's largest urban center.
Location in Burkina Faso
Coordinates: 11°45′N 2°15′W / 11.750°N 2.250°W / 11.750; -2.250Coordinates: 11°45′N 2°15′W / 11.750°N 2.250°W / 11.750; -2.250
Country	Burkina Faso
Capital	Koudougou
Area
• Total	8,387 sq mi (21,722 km2)
Population (2011)
• Total	1,348,784
Time zone	GMT 0 (UTC+0)

Centre-Ouest is one of Burkina Faso's 13 administrative regions. The population of Centre-Ouest was 1,348,784 in 2011. The region's capital is Koudougou. Four provinces (Boulkiemdé, Sanguié, Sissili, and Ziro) make up the region.

As of 2010, the population of the region was 1,310,644 with 53.92 per cent females. The population in the region was 8.33 per cent of the total population of the country. The child mortality rate was 61, infant mortality rate was 87 and the mortality of children under five was 142. As of 2007, the literacy rate in the region was 28.8 per cent, compared to a national average of 28.3 per cent. The coverage of cereal need compared to the total production of the region was 135.00 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.