Boundiali

The economy of the town of Boundiali is largely based on the cotton industry, introduced by the French during the colonial period, and primarily intended for export. Corn, groundnut, millet, manioc, banana, mangoes, yam, 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".

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, another former minister and Director of the RDR.

The town is surrounded by two "mountains"[2] that are part of the Guinean mountain range that culminates at Mount Nimba.[3]

The area is savanna region, with tropical to subtropical vegetation. The climate is very hot and dry (Sudanese climate). In December and January, Harmattan, a powerful wind, blows in from the Sahara, lowering the temperature considerably.

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, Kora and Balaphon.

Onchocerciasis devastated the riverside villages of the area, but was effectively eradicated in 1980, thanks chiefly to Canadian co-operation.[4]

• 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 made his first film, La Victoire, 1975 (with Jean Carmet).
• North of the city, towards Tingréla, the villages of Kouto, Gbon and Kolia are located, which are populated by weavers and blacksmiths.
• The village of Tiémé, in direction of Odienné, sheltered René Caillié at the time of his voyage from Conakry to Timbuktoo, where he was cured of scurvy by the attentive care of the villagers.
• Fula camps in the savanna outside the city.

• Muriel Diallo, author of children's stories was born here in 1967.[5]
• Writer Ahmadou Kourouma was born in Boundiali.

• Korhogo to the east.
• Odienné to the west.
• Tingréla to the north.
• Séguéla to the south.

In 2014, the population of the sub-prefecture of Boundiali was 59,586.[6]

The 18 villages of the sub-prefecture of Boundiali and their population in 2014 are:[6]

• 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.

• A school in Boundiali