Yamoussoukro

Yamoussoukro is the capital city of Ivory Coast and an autonomous district. As of the 2014 census, it is the fifth most populous city in the country, with a population of 212,670 people. It is located 240 kilometers (150 miles) northwest of Abidjan and covers an area of 2,075 square kilometers (801 square miles) among rolling hills and plains.

Yamoussoukro became the legal capital of Ivory Coast in 1983, even though Abidjan still holds several important political functions. Before 2011, the area that is now Yamoussoukro district was part of Lacs Region. In 2011, the district was created and split into the departments of Attiégouakro and Yamoussoukro. The district includes 169 settlements in total. Since 2012, the city of Yamoussoukro has been the sole commune in the autonomous district of Yamoussoukro.

History

Prehistory

Main article: History of Ivory Coast § Prehistory and early history

Old stone tools found in the area show that people lived around Yamoussoukro a very long time ago. As the Sahara became drier, many people moved south to find better living conditions.

Colonial period

Queen Yamoussou, the niece of Kouassi N'Go, led the city of N'Gokro in 1929 during French colonization. The village was renamed Yamoussoukro, where the suffix Kro means town in Baoule.

There were conflicts during this time. In 1909, a group called the Akoué revolted against the local leaders. A place called Bonzi, close to Yamoussoukro, was attacked, but a French leader was saved thanks to Kouassi N'Go’s help.

Later, the French moved their military station to Yamoussoukro and built a pyramid to honor Kouassi N'Go, who was later killed by some of his own people.

Since independence

In 1939, Félix Houphouët-Boigny became the leader of Yamoussoukro. For many years, it remained a small farming town. After World War II, new groups and meetings began, but real growth started after the country gained independence.

In 1950, only about 500 people lived in the village. In 1983, President Houphouët-Boigny chose Yamoussoukro to be the political capital of Ivory Coast because it was his birthplace. Before this, the capital had been Grand-Bassam, Bingerville, and then Abidjan. Even today, most business activities still happen in Abidjan, which is called the “economic capital.”

Governance

Since 2001, Yamoussoukro has been managed as part of the Yamoussoukro Department and the Lacs Region. In 2011, the department was dissolved, and the autonomous district of Yamoussoukro was established, separating from the rest of Lacs, which became a separate district.

Unlike other districts in the country, Yamoussoukro’s autonomous district is not split into regions. Instead, it is divided into departments, sub-prefectures, and a commune. The district includes the departments of Attiégouakro and Yamoussoukro. These departments are further split into the sub-prefectures of Attiégouakro, Kossou, Lolobo, and Yamoussoukro. There is one commune, also named Yamoussoukro, which shares the same borders as the district. In 2011, the role of Mayor of Yamoussoukro was changed to a district governor chosen by the head of state.

Architecture

Yamoussoukro has many interesting buildings, such as the Kossou Dam, the PDCI-RDA House, schools at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute, the Town Hall, a Protestant Temple, a Mosque, and the Palace of Hosts. The Yamoussoukro International Airport served about six hundred passengers and had 36 flights in 1995. It was one of two airports in Africa, along with Gbadolite, that could handle the Concorde airplane.

Places of worship

Yamoussoukro has many important places where people gather to practice their faith. Most of these are Christian churches and temples, including the Roman Catholic Diocese of Yamoussoukro, the United Methodist Church, and the Assemblies of God. There are also mosques for Muslim worship.

The city is home to the largest Christian church in the world, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, which was consecrated by Pope John Paul II on September 10, 1990.

Transport

Yamoussoukro has an airport called Yamoussoukro International Airport to help people travel.

Economy

The main activities in Yamoussoukro are fishing, forestry, and perfume industries.

Climate

Yamoussoukro has a tropical wet and dry climate. It has a long wet season from March to October and a shorter dry season for the rest of the year. The city is influenced by the harmattan wind, which helps bring the dry season. Although it has a long wet season, Yamoussoukro receives less rain each year than nearby Abidjan, with about 1,130 millimeters of rain on average.

Education

The Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny was started in 1996.

Sport

Yamoussoukro has been a place for important games. It hosted the 2019 World Draughts Championship and has a tennis event called the Ivory Coast Open. The city has two football teams, SOA and ASC Ouragahio, that play at Yamoussoukro Stadium. Another team, FC Bibo, plays in the nearby town of Kossou. SOA also has a basketball club that competes in the top division. The city was planned to hold some games for AFCON 2023, but these were moved to January 2024 because of weather.