Plateau-Central Region

Plateau-Central Region occupies the densely populated Mossi heartland surrounding Ziniaré, historically the seat of Mossi chiefs whose authority predates colonial boundaries. This cultural centrality gives the region political significance beyond its economic weight. The landscape—laterite plateau with scattered trees—supports rain-fed agriculture constrained by soil quality and irregular rainfall.

Agriculture focuses on sorghum, millet, and vegetables, with limited cotton production due to lower rainfall than western zones. Livestock keeping provides supplementary income, though the dense population limits pastoral options. Proximity to Ouagadougou creates labor migration patterns where young people seek urban employment while maintaining family connections in home villages.

The region has largely avoided the direct violence affecting northern and eastern zones, though indirect effects accumulate. Displaced populations seek refuge near the capital; food prices rise as production zones contract; military recruitment draws young men into security forces. Plateau-Central represents what stable Burkina Faso might look like—functioning administration, agricultural production, social order—while also demonstrating how tenuous that stability has become across the national territory.