Country Burkina Faso Time zone GMT 0 (UTC+0) Local time Wednesday 1:03 PM | Region Boucle du Mouhoun Area 4,596 km² | |
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Weather 39°C, Wind E at 21 km/h, 5% Humidity | ||
Balé is one of the 45 provinces of Burkina Faso, located in its Boucle du Mouhoun Region with Boromo as capital. Its area is 4,595 km2 (1,774 sq mi), and in 2006 had a population of 213,897. The province is known for its Deux Balé Forest, populated by savannah elephant herds. Boromo, the provincial capital, is located on the main road from Ouagadougou to Bobo-Dioulasso. In June 2007, the Canadian mining company, Semafo, open the third gold mine in the country in Mana in the province, with an investment of about $116 million.
Contents
Map of Bale, Burkina Faso
History
On November 15, 2008 a bus accident killed 69 people at Boromo. when a passenger bus transporting workers to Côte d'Ivoire collided with a commercial truck. Both vehicles burst into flames.
Geography
The province is known for its Deux Balé Forest, populated by savannah elephant herds. Boromo, the provincial capital, is located on the main road from Ouagadougou to Bobo-Dioulasso, and serves as a gateway to the park.
Demographics
Most people in the province live in rural areas; 199,012 Burkinabé live in the countryside with only 14,885 people residing in urban areas. There are 105,853 men living in Balé Province and 108,044 women.
Departments
Bale is divided into 10 departments:
Economy and services
In June 2007, the Canadian mining company, Semafo, open the third gold mine in the country in Mana, with an investment of about $116 million. There is a hydroelectric station at Boromo, operated by the Société Nationale d'électricité du Burkina Faso (SONABEL) with 1,269 MWh.
In 2011 the province had 164 primary schools and 22 secondary schools.
In 2011 the province had 31 health and social promotion centers (Centres de santé et de promotion sociale), 4 doctors and 115 nurses.