Banfora

---

title: "Banfora" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-the-cascades-region", "banfora-department"] description: "City in the Cascades Region, Burkina Faso" topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-the-cascades-region" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banfora" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary City in the Cascades Region, Burkina Faso ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Banfora
native_name
settlement_type	City
total_type
image_skyline	Markt Banfora MS 2255.JPG
imagesize	280px
image_caption	Banfora market
dot_x
pushpin_map	Burkina Faso
pushpin_label_position
pushpin_map_caption	Location within Burkina Faso
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Cascades
subdivision_type2	Province
subdivision_name2	Comoé
parts_style
parts
p2
leader_title1
established_title
established_title1
established_title2
area_magnitude
area_land_km2
area_total_dunam
elevation_footnotes
elevation_m	303
population_as_of	2019 census
population_footnotes
population_total	117452
population_density_km2
timezone	GMT
utc_offset	+0
coordinates
postal_code_type
area_code	+226 209
::

|name = Banfora |official_name = |other_name = |native_name =
|nickname = |settlement_type = City |total_type = |motto = |image_skyline = Markt Banfora MS 2255.JPG |imagesize = 280px |image_caption = Banfora market |image_flag = |flag_size = |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = |shield_size = |image_blank_emblem = |blank_emblem_type = |blank_emblem_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = |image_dot_map = |dot_mapsize = |dot_map_caption = |dot_x = |dot_y = |pushpin_map =Burkina Faso |pushpin_label_position = |pushpin_map_caption =Location within Burkina Faso |pushpin_mapsize = |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = |subdivision_type1 = Region |subdivision_name1 = Cascades |subdivision_type2 = Province |subdivision_name2 = Comoé |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = |subdivision_type4 = |subdivision_name4 = |seat_type = |seat = |parts_type = |parts_style = Default is list if up to 5 items, coll if more than 5-- |parts = |p1 = |p2 = |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = |leader_name = |leader_title1 =
|leader_name1 = |leader_title2 = |leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = |leader_title4 = |leader_name4 = |established_title =
|established_date = |established_title1 =
|established_date1 = |established_title2 = |established_date2 = |established_title3 = |established_date3 = |founder = |named_for = |area_magnitude = |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |area_total_dunam = |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |area_blank1_title = |area_blank1_km2 = |area_blank1_sq_mi = |elevation_footnotes =
|elevation_m = 303 |elevation_ft = |elevation_max_m = |elevation_max_ft = |elevation_min_m = |elevation_min_ft = |population_as_of =2019 census |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total = 117452 |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_sq_mi = |population_blank1_title = |population_blank1 = |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi = |timezone = GMT |utc_offset = +0 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |coordinates = |postal_code_type =
|postal_code = |area_code = +226 209 |twin1 = |twin1_country = |twin2 = |twin2_country = |twin3 = |twin3_country = |twin4 = |twin4_country = |twin5 = |twin5_country = |twin6 = |twin6_country = |twin7 = |twin7_country = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |blank2_name = |blank2_info = |blank3_name = |blank3_info = |blank4_name = |blank4_info = |blank5_name = |blank5_info = |blank6_name = |blank6_info = |website = |footnotes = Banfora is a city in southwestern Burkina Faso, with a population of 117,452 (2019 census) making it the sixth most populous city in Burkina Faso. It is the capital of the Comoe province. The city lies 85 km south-west of Bobo-Dioulasso, on the Abidjan – Ouagadougou Railway. The Cascades de Karfiguéla are a series of waterfalls close to Banfora.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Les.Colonies.françaises.Helio.Sadag.1931.Flammarion.Haute-Volta._Régio_de_Banfora.Le_battage_du_riz(cropped).jpg" caption="A village scene from the area around Banfora, 1931"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Maarten_van_der_Bent_Banfora.jpg" caption="Street in Banfora"] ::

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 to Bobo-Dioulasso and in 1931 a railway was built to the town.

Economy

The economy has grown around the sugar cane industry. The city is also an important market town and there are hotels which support a small tourism industry linked to the Cascades de Karfiguéla.

Transportation

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Https-_www.flickr.com_photos_maartenvdbent_12567779015,_Banfora_Gare.jpg" caption="Banfora train station"] ::

The city has a railroad station along the Abidjan – Ouagadougou Railway. As of June 2014 Sitarail operated a passenger train along the line three times a week in each direction. 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 at Niangoloko before reaching customs.

Education

Banfora has 19 primary schools, two high schools, four private colleges and the College of Sainte Thérèse.

Healthcare

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.

Demographics

The main ethnic groups are the Gouin, the Karaboro and the Turka. The most commonly used languages for communication between people of different ethnicities living in Banfora are Dioula and French.

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as tropical wet and dry (Aw).

|metric first=yes |single line=yes |location=Banfora (elevation: 313m) |temperature colour=pastel |Jan high C=33.6 |Feb high C=35.7 |Mar high C=36.9 |Apr high C=36.8 |May high C=35 |Jun high C=32.6 |Jul high C=30.8 |Aug high C=30.2 |Sep high C=31.1 |Oct high C=33.3 |Nov high C=34.9 |Dec high C=33.6

|Jan mean C=25.4 |Feb mean C=27.8 |Mar mean C=29.9 |Apr mean C=30.7 |May mean C=29.5 |Jun mean C=27.5 |Jul mean C=26.3 |Aug mean C=25.9 |Sep mean C=26.3 |Oct mean C=27.4 |Nov mean C=27.4 |Dec mean C=25.5

|Jan low C=17.3 |Feb low C=19.9 |Mar low C=23 |Apr low C=24.6 |May low C=24 |Jun low C=22.5 |Jul low C=21.9 |Aug low C=21.6 |Sep low C=21.5 |Oct low C=21.6 |Nov low C=19.9 |Dec low C=17.4

|precipitation colour=green |Jan precipitation mm=1 |Feb precipitation mm=5 |Mar precipitation mm=22 |Apr precipitation mm=56 |May precipitation mm=109 |Jun precipitation mm=136 |Jul precipitation mm=209 |Aug precipitation mm=282 |Sep precipitation mm=187 |Oct precipitation mm=64 |Nov precipitation mm=12 |Dec precipitation mm=3

|source 1 = Climate-Data.org

|collapsed=yes |metric first=yes |single line=yes |location=Banfora (elevation: 300m) |temperature colour=pastel |Jan high C=33.8 |Feb high C=35.7 |Mar high C=37 |Apr high C=36.7 |May high C=35.1 |Jun high C=32.8 |Jul high C=31 |Aug high C=30.3 |Sep high C=31.1 |Oct high C=33.4 |Nov high C=35 |Dec high C=33.6

|Jan mean C=25.6 |Feb mean C=27.8 |Mar mean C=30 |Apr mean C=30.6 |May mean C=29.6 |Jun mean C=27.7 |Jul mean C=26.5 |Aug mean C=25.9 |Sep mean C=26.3 |Oct mean C=27.5 |Nov mean C=27.5 |Dec mean C=25.5

|Jan low C=17.4 |Feb low C=20 |Mar low C=23.1 |Apr low C=24.6 |May low C=24.1 |Jun low C=22.6 |Jul low C=22 |Aug low C=21.6 |Sep low C=21.6 |Oct low C=21.7 |Nov low C=20 |Dec low C=17.4

|precipitation colour=green |Jan precipitation mm=1 |Feb precipitation mm=5 |Mar precipitation mm=22 |Apr precipitation mm=56 |May precipitation mm=109 |Jun precipitation mm=136 |Jul precipitation mm=209 |Aug precipitation mm=282 |Sep precipitation mm=186 |Oct precipitation mm=64 |Nov precipitation mm=11 |Dec precipitation mm=2

|source 1 = Climate-Data.org

References

References

2. [https://www.citypopulation.de/en/burkinafaso/cities/ Citypopulation.de] Population of the major cities in Burkina Faso
3. European Rail Timetable, Summer 2014 Edition, (journey time is 43 to 48 hours)
4. "Climate: Banfora - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table (elevation: 313m)". Climate-Data.org.
5. "Climate: Banfora - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table (elevation: 300m)". Climate-Data.org.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::