Banfora | |
|---|---|
 Banfora market | |
  Banfora Location within Burkina Faso | |
| Coordinates:10°37′51″N4°45′32″W / 10.63083°N 4.75889°W /10.63083; -4.75889 | |
| Country |  Burkina Faso |
| Region | Cascades |
| Province | Comoé |
| Elevation | 303 m (994 ft) |
| Population (2019 census)[1] | |
• Total | 117,452 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| Area code | +226 209 |
Banfora is a city in southwesternBurkina Faso, with a population of 117,452 (2019 census)[1] making it the sixth most populous city in Burkina Faso. It is the capital of theComoe province. The city lies 85 kilometres (53 mi) south-west ofBobo-Dioulasso, on theAbidjan – Ouagadougou Railway. TheCascades de Karfiguéla are a series of waterfalls close to Banfora.
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The first settlers were the Karaboro who with the Gouin and Turkas constitute the city's main ethnic groups. They are all from the south of Burkina Faso.
In 1903 the French colonialist forces created a military post at Banfora and one year later created an administrative position there. In 1905 a road was built linking Banfora toBobo-Dioulasso and in 1931 a railway was built to the town.
The economy has grown around thesugar cane industry. The city is also an important market town and there are hotels which support a small tourism industry linked to theCascades de Karfiguéla.
The city has a railroad station along theAbidjan – Ouagadougou Railway. As of June 2014Sitarail operated a passenger train along the line three times a week in each direction.[2] It is a way station for transport to and from Côte d'Ivoire as it is the last city in Burkina Faso before the border. The paved road from Bobo-Dioulasso continues to the border and cargo will often stop atNiangoloko before reaching customs.
Banfora has 19 primary schools, two high schools, four private colleges and the College of Sainte Thérèse.
The city has a regional hospital (CHR), a maternal and infant protection unit and three pharmacies. Traditional medicine is also practiced and there is a center for traditional therapies.
The main ethnic groups are theGouin, theKaraboro and theTurka. The most commonly used languages for communication between people of different ethnicities living in Banfora areDioula andFrench.
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate astropical wet and dry (Aw).
| Climate data for Banfora (elevation: 313m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.6 (92.5) | 35.7 (96.3) | 36.9 (98.4) | 36.8 (98.2) | 35 (95) | 32.6 (90.7) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.2 (86.4) | 31.1 (88.0) | 33.3 (91.9) | 34.9 (94.8) | 33.6 (92.5) | 33.7 (92.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.4 (77.7) | 27.8 (82.0) | 29.9 (85.8) | 30.7 (87.3) | 29.5 (85.1) | 27.5 (81.5) | 26.3 (79.3) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.3 (79.3) | 27.4 (81.3) | 27.4 (81.3) | 25.5 (77.9) | 27.5 (81.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.3 (63.1) | 19.9 (67.8) | 23 (73) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24 (75) | 22.5 (72.5) | 21.9 (71.4) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 21.6 (70.9) | 19.9 (67.8) | 17.4 (63.3) | 21.3 (70.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 1 (0.0) | 5 (0.2) | 22 (0.9) | 56 (2.2) | 109 (4.3) | 136 (5.4) | 209 (8.2) | 282 (11.1) | 187 (7.4) | 64 (2.5) | 12 (0.5) | 3 (0.1) | 1,086 (42.8) |
| Source:Climate-Data.org[3] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Banfora (elevation: 300m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.8 (92.8) | 35.7 (96.3) | 37 (99) | 36.7 (98.1) | 35.1 (95.2) | 32.8 (91.0) | 31 (88) | 30.3 (86.5) | 31.1 (88.0) | 33.4 (92.1) | 35 (95) | 33.6 (92.5) | 33.8 (92.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.6 (78.1) | 27.8 (82.0) | 30 (86) | 30.6 (87.1) | 29.6 (85.3) | 27.7 (81.9) | 26.5 (79.7) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.3 (79.3) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.5 (81.5) | 25.5 (77.9) | 27.5 (81.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) | 20 (68) | 23.1 (73.6) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.1 (75.4) | 22.6 (72.7) | 22 (72) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.7 (71.1) | 20 (68) | 17.4 (63.3) | 21.3 (70.5) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 1 (0.0) | 5 (0.2) | 22 (0.9) | 56 (2.2) | 109 (4.3) | 136 (5.4) | 209 (8.2) | 282 (11.1) | 186 (7.3) | 64 (2.5) | 11 (0.4) | 2 (0.1) | 1,083 (42.6) |
| Source:Climate-Data.org[4] | |||||||||||||
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