Centre Region (Burkina Faso)

Centre
Region
Aerial view of Ouagadougou
Location in Burkina Faso
Coordinates: 12°20′N 1°30′W / 12.333°N 1.500°W / 12.333; -1.500Coordinates: 12°20′N 1°30′W / 12.333°N 1.500°W / 12.333; -1.500
Country	Burkina Faso
Capital	Ouagadougou
Area
• Total	1,083 sq mi (2,805 km2)
Population (2011)
• Total	2,136,581 (est.)
Time zone	GMT 0 (UTC+0)

Centre is one of Burkina Faso's 13 administrative regions. The population of Centre was 1,523,980 in 2006 and increased by 40.2% in 5 years to 2,136,581 in 2011 (est.). It is the most populous and urbanised region in Burkina Faso; in 2006 11.1% of Burkina's population lived in Centre. The region's capital is Ouagadougou, which also serves as the national capital. Centre region consists of only one province, Kadiogo.

As of 2010, the population of the region was 1,262,783 with 53.05 per cent females. The population in the region was 8.03 per cent of the total population of the country. The coverage of cereal need compared to the total production of the region was 17.00 per cent. As of 2007, the literacy rate in the region was 63 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 northern regions are generally arid and usually have scrub land and semi-deserts. The principal river is the Red Volta, that originates in the northern 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 25 cm (9.8 in) compared to southern regions that receive only 100 cm (39 in) rainfall.

As of 2010, the population of the region was 1,262,783 with 53.05 per cent females. The population in the region was 8.03 per cent of the total population of the country. The child mortality rate was 35, infant mortality rate was 47 and the mortality of children under five was 80. As of 2007, among the working population, there were 47.80 per cent employees, 14.50 per cent under employed, 31.60 per cent inactive people, 37.80 per cent not working and 6.20 unemployed people in the region.