Centre-Est Region, Administrative region in central Burkina Faso.
Centre-Est Region is an administrative region in east-central Burkina Faso made up of three provinces: Boulgou, Koulpélogo, and Kouritenga. Tenkodogo, the largest city in the region, serves as the administrative center and sits at the heart of a largely rural landscape of villages and farmland.
The administrative region was created in 2001 when Burkina Faso reorganized its territory into 13 regions. Tenkodogo itself is one of the oldest towns in the country and is considered one of the founding places of the Mossi kingdom, which shaped central Burkina Faso for centuries.
The region is home to the Mossi, the largest group in Burkina Faso, whose traditional village structure organized around the local chief is still visible today. Weekly markets in Tenkodogo draw people from surrounding areas to trade goods, giving the town a strong sense of everyday community life.
Many roads in the area are unpaved, so travel during the dry season from October to May is far more manageable than during the rains. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is helpful if you plan to visit villages away from the main roads.
Tenkodogo is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the country, which gives it a special place in the study of Mossi history. Despite this, the town today feels like an ordinary market hub with no tourist infrastructure, making it one of the few places in the region where daily life is fully on display.
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