Bobo-Dioulasso
Burkina Faso · Africa
關於Bobo-Dioulasso
Bobo-Dioulasso (Dyula: Bɔbɔjulaso N'Ko script: ߓߐ߬ߓߐߖߎ߬ߟߊ߬ߛߏ߫, Mossi: Sɩa) (often colloquially called Bobo) is a city in Burkina Faso with a population of 1,129,000 (as of 2023); it is the second-largest city in the country, after Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso's capital. The name means "home of the Bobo-Dioula".
The local Bobo-speaking population (related to the Mande) refers to the city simply as Sia. There are two distinct dialects of Jula spoken, based on the origins of different groups of speakers. The city is situated in the southwest of the country, in the Houet Province, some 350 km (220 mi) from Ouagadougou. Bobo-Dioulasso is significant both economically (agricultural trade, textile industry) and culturally, as it is a major center of culture and music.
According to local tradition, Bobo-Dioulasso was founded as Sia in the 15th century. Populated by the Oule and Dioula subgroups of the Bobo people, it became an important market center, particularly in the export of horses southwards. Sia was therefore an important link in the developing trade routes linking Djenne and the Inner Niger Delta to Kong, Begho and ultimately the Gold Coast.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.