Boundiali is a town in northern

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

. It is a

sub-prefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefecture ...

of and the seat of Boundiali Department. It is also the seat of Bagoué Region in Savanes District and a commune. Its population, the ''Boundialikas'', is composed mainly of ethnic groups shared across the borders of Mali,

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

, and Burkina Faso, as well as some Fulas. Boundiali is a centre for

Senoufo The Senufo people, also known as Siena, Senefo, Sene, Senoufo, and Syénambélé, are a West African ethnolinguistic group. They consist of diverse subgroups living in a region spanning the northern Ivory Coast, the southeastern Mali and the we ...

people and is known for crafts. The inhabitants are chiefly farmers and

stockbreeder Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, animal fiber, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long hi ...

s as well as tradesmen or

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

Economy

The economy of the town of Boundiali is largely based on the cotton industry, introduced by the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

during the colonial period, and primarily intended for export.

Corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

, groundnut,

millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most species generally referred to as millets belong to the tribe Paniceae, but some millets al ...

, manioc,

banana A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...

, mangoes,

yam Yam or YAM may refer to: Plants and foods *Yam (vegetable), common name for members of ''Dioscorea'' * Taro, known in Malaysia and Singapore as yam * Sweet potato, specifically its orange-fleshed cultivars, often referred to as yams in North Amer ...

, and rice are also cultivated, mainly for local consumption. The town has a hospital, a modern college and two factories for cotton processing, its principal industry, to the point of being called "white gold".

Politics

Boundiali's mayor is Zémogo Fofana, former member of the RDR, and a former government minister. He has created his own party with

Jean-Jacques Bechio Jean-Jacques is a French name, equivalent to "John James" in English. Since the second half of 18th century, Jean Jacques Rousseau was widely known as Jean Jacques. Notable people bearing this name include: Given name * Jean-Jacques Annaud (born 19 ...

, another former minister and Director of the RDR.

Geography

The town is surrounded by two "mountains" that are part of the Guinean mountain range that culminates at Mount Nimba. The area is savanna region, with tropical to

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

vegetation. The climate is very hot and dry (

Sudanese Sudanese or Sudanic may refer to: *pertaining to the country of Sudan **the people of Sudan, see Demographics of Sudan *pertaining to Sudan (region) **Sudanic languages **Sudanic race, subtype of the Africoid racial category See also *Sudanese Civ ...

climate). In December and January,

Harmattan The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into the ...

, a powerful wind, blows in from the Sahara, lowering the temperature considerably.

Culture

The neighbouring villages, are home to artisans who manufacture statues of human or animal figures as well as wood-carved doors and sénoufo chairs. The ceremonies of the area are celebrated with the popular use of

Djembe A djembe or jembe ( ; from Maninka language, Malinke ''jembe'' , N'Ko script, N'Ko: ) is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. According to the Bambara people in Mali, the name of the djembe ...

Kora Kora may refer to: Places India * Kora, Bardhaman, West Bengal * Kora, Bharuch, Gujarat * Korha, Katihar, also known as Kora, in Bihar * Kora, Kendrapara, Odisha * Kora, Wardha, Maharastra * Kora, Tumakuru, Karnataka * Toyaguda, Adilabad, Telan ...

and

Balaphon The balafon is a gourd-resonated xylophone, a type of struck idiophone. It is closely associated with the neighbouring Mandé, Senoufo and Gur peoples of West Africa, particularly the Guinean branch of the Mandinka ethnic group, but is now ...

Onchocerciasis Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm ''Onchocerca volvulus''. Symptoms include severe itching, bumps under the skin, and blindness. It is the second-most common cause of blindne ...

devastated the riverside villages of the area, but was effectively eradicated in 1980, thanks chiefly to Canadian co-operation.

Places of interest

* Hippopotamuses in the River Bagoué. *The neighbouring forests are home to panthers which are sometimes killed by villagers, although hunting is prohibited in the territory. *Niofoin, the typical Sénoufo village, is located towards Korhogo. It is here that

Jean-Jacques Annaud Jean-Jacques Annaud (; born 1 October 1943) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer, best known for directing ''Quest for Fire'' (1981), ''The Name of the Rose'' (1986), '' The Bear'' (1988), '' The Lover'' (1992), '' Seven Years in ...

made his first film, '' La Victoire'', 1975 (with Jean Carmet). *North of the city, towards Tingréla, the villages of Kouto,

Gbon Gbon is a town in northern Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefecture and commune of Kouto Department in Bagoué Region, Savanes District Savanes District (french: District des Savanes) is one of fourteen administrative districts of Ivory Coast. The ...

and

Kolia Kolia is a town in northern Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefecture and commune of Kouto Department in Bagoué Region, Savanes District Savanes District (french: District des Savanes) is one of fourteen administrative districts of Ivory Coast. Th ...

are located, which are populated by weavers and blacksmiths. *The village of

Tiémé Tiémé is a town in northwestern Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefecture and commune of Odienné Department in Kabadougou Region, Denguélé District. It is situated between two major towns of the Denguélé: Odienné is located approximately west, ...

, in direction of

Odienné Odienné () is a town in the northwestern part of Ivory Coast. It is the seat of both Denguélé District and Kabadougou Region. It is also a commune and the seat of and a sub-prefecture of Odienné Department. The town of Odienné was founded b ...

, sheltered René Caillié at the time of his voyage from

Conakry Conakry (; ; sus, Kɔnakiri; N’ko: ߞߐߣߊߞߙߌ߫, Fula: ''Konaakiri'' 𞤑𞤮𞤲𞤢𞥄𞤳𞤭𞤪𞤭) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its p ...

Timbuktoo Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label= Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administra ...

, where he was cured of scurvy by the attentive care of the villagers. *Fula camps in the savanna outside the city.

People linked to the town

Muriel Diallo Muriel Diallo (born 19 May 1967) is an Ivory Coast writer. Life Diallo was born in Boundiali in 1967. Although she is known for her writing in French, she taught art for a living. She has exhibited her paintings and she has won a number of award ...

, author of children's stories was born here in 1967.Murial Diallo
, Art.uwa.edu, Retrieved 23 February 2016 *Writer

Ahmadou Kourouma Ahmadou Kourouma (24 November 1927 – 11 December 2003) was an Ivorian novelist. Life The eldest son of a distinguished Malinké family, Ahmadou Kourouma was born in 1927 in Boundiali, Côte d'Ivoire. Raised by his uncle, he initially pursued ...

was born in Boundiali.

Neighbouring cities

* Korhogo to the east. *

to the west. * Tingréla to the north. *

Séguéla Séguéla is a town in western Ivory Coast. It is the seat of both the Woroba District and the Worodougou Region. It is also a Communes of Ivory Coast, commune and the seat of and a sub-prefectures of Ivory Coast, sub-prefecture of Séguéla Depar ...

to the south. In 2021, the population of the sub-prefecture of Boundiali was 92,792.

Villages

The 18 villages of the sub-prefecture of Boundiali and their population in 2014 are:Citypopulation.de
Population of localities in the sub-prefecture of Boundiali

Notes

References

*''Les charrues de la Bagoue - Gestion paysanne d'une opération cotonnière en Côte d'ivoire'', by Jacqueline Peltre-Wurtz, published in 1999 (Editor: IRD) *''Histoire des Fohobele de Cote d'ivoire - Une Population Sénoufo inconnue'', by Tiona Ferdinand Ouattara, published in 1999 in Editions Karthala. *''Le volcanisme du sillon de Boundiali, phénomène principal du proterozoique inférieur de cette région N.NW de la Cote d'Ivoire'', thesis by the Université Blaise Pascal de Clermont-Ferrand. *''Étude Pédologique De La Région De Boundiali-Korhogo - Méthodologie et typologie détaillée, morphologie et caractères analytiques'', by Alain-Gérard Beaudou, published by Editions de l'ORSTOM. *''Les Sénoufos (Y compris les Miniankas)'', by B. Holas, published in 1957 by Presses Universitaires de France.

External links

A school in Boundiali
{{Authority control Sub-prefectures of Bagoué Communes of Bagoué Regional capitals of Ivory Coast