Yamoussoukro is the de jure capital of Ivory Coast and an autonomous district. As of the 2014 census, Yamoussoukro is the fifth most populous city in Ivory Coast with a population of 212,670. Located 240 kilometers (150 mi) north-west of Abidjan, the district of Yamoussoukro covers 2,075 square kilometers (801 sq mi) among rolling hills and plains.
Félix Houphouët-Boigny, affectionately called Papa Houphouët or Le Vieux, was an Ivorian politician and physician who served as the first president of Ivory Coast from 1960 until his death in 1993. A tribal chief, he worked as a medical aide, union leader, and planter before being elected to the French Parliament. He served in several ministerial positions within the French government before leading Ivory Coast following independence in 1960. Throughout his life, he played a significant role in politics and the decolonisation of Africa.
The year 1990 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is a Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, the administrative capital of la Côte d'Ivoire. Guinness World Records lists it as the largest church in the world, having surpassed the previous record holder, Saint Peter's Basilica, upon completion. It has an area of 30,000 square metres (320,000 sq ft) and is 158 metres (518 ft) tall. However, it also includes a rectory and a villa, which are not strictly part of the church. It can accommodate 18,000 worshippers, compared to 60,000 for St. Peter's. Ordinary liturgies conducted at the basilica are usually attended by only a few hundred people. The basilica is administered by Polish Pallottines at a cost of US$1.5 million annually.
The Catholic Church in Ivory Coast is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Catholicism arrived in Ivory Coast through the arrival of French settlers.
The regions of Ivory Coast are the second-level subdivisions of Ivory Coast. There are 31 regions, and each region is subdivided into two or more departments, the third-level division in Ivory Coast. Two to four regions are combined to make up an autonomous district, the first-level subdivision. The autonomous districts of Abidjan and Yamoussoukro are not divided into regions.
Charles Blé Goudé is an Ivorian political leader, born at Guibéroua, in the centre west of the country. He was acquitted by the International Criminal Court on the 15th Jan 2019 of crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Côte d'Ivoire during the presidency of Laurent Gbagbo.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Yamoussoukro is a diocese located in the city of Yamoussoukro in the ecclesiastical province of Bouaké in Côte d'Ivoire.
Bernard Yago was an Ivoirian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Abidjan from 1960 to 1994 and was made cardinal in 1983.
Abou Nidal de Genève is the stage name of Aboubakar Doumbia born on December 29, 1974, in Divo, Ivorian composer, performer and producer. His pseudonym is linked to the fact that he lived for many years in Geneva, Switzerland. His nickname is also Wara Boss in reference to the Wara Tour.
Abidjan is the largest city and the former capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, making it the sixth most populous city proper in Africa, after Lagos, Cairo, Kinshasa, Dar es Salaam, and Johannesburg. A cultural crossroads of West Africa, Abidjan is characterised by a high level of industrialisation and urbanisation. It is also the most populous Dioula-speaking and French-speaking city in Africa.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
St Paul's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the city of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The cathedral, which was designed by the Italian architect Aldo Spirito, serves as the mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan.
The districts of Ivory Coast are the first-level administrative subdivisions of the country. The districts were created in 2011 in an effort to further decentralise the state.
Abdoulaye Diarrassouba, also known as Aboudia, is an American-Ivorian contemporary artist based in Brooklyn, New York, and who works from his studios in Abidjan and New York City. He was born on October 21, 1983, in Côte d'Ivoire, and graduated from the School of Applied Arts in Bingerville in 2003. In 2005, he graduated from the Institut des Arts in Abidjan. He first reached an international audience during the siege of Abidjan in 2011, when the conflict came close to his studio. Some of his works has been exhibited in Basel, Miami, New York, Singapore, and Art Central in Hong Kong. He has also done various solo shows with galleries in New York, London, Barcelona, Copenhagen and more. In 2012, he collaborated with Ivorian artist Frédéric Bruly Bouabré on producing a unique series of paintings exhibited in Abidjan. In 2017 Abdoulaye collaborated with British internationally acclaimed painter Christian Furr, producing works between New York, London and Abidjan.
Charles Konan Banny Stadium is a football stadium in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast that was inaugurated on 3 June 2022. This was the fourth among the six stadiums for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. It was designed by an association formed of Alcor, Sogea-Satom, Egis and Baudin Chateauneuf.
Village Ivoire is a hospitality and entertainment district located on the banks of the Ébrié Lagoon, in the Cocody commune of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Its original building and centerpiece is Hôtel Ivoire, a luxury hotel. A prestige project for the young independent nation of Côte d'Ivoire, the district earned international notice for its lavish amenities, among them a now-closed artificial ice rink which was considered the first of its kind in the West African region. Shortly after its completion, a New York Times article called the Ivoire "sui generis, perhaps Africa's most dazzling hotel".
The Abidjan Exhibition Centre is a convention and exhibition complex intended for trade shows, fairs and to host other significant events in Ivory Coast. It is located in the Port-Bouët commune of Abidjan close to the Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport. It includes a large exhibition hall, a 5,000-seat convention center, an administrative building, a semi-covered parking lot with 800 spaces, and various outdoor facilities.
