The Republic of Cote d'Ivoire: the capital. Cote d'Ivoire: information about the country

A small state in the western part of Africa the world long knew as the Country of Slaves, the Land of the Corn and the place of the Golden Embankments. The material will acquaint you with the country whose name translates as Ivory Coast. Tourists are interested in what kind of people live in this country, what kind of nature, what kind of capital. In Côte d'Ivoire for the sake of this attraction, thousands of visitors come every year. The thing is that this city was built by the French, and local architecture is very close to the architecture of medieval Europe, but at the same time has its own flavor.

Country of coffee

The territories of the modern republic began to be inhabited at the beginning of the Stone Age. The first inhabitants were pygmies. But they led a nomadic way of life. Therefore, soon other tribes came to these lands, those that still live in the state. With the development of the colonial conquest, the migration of peoples has stopped.

From the end of the 15th century, Europe exported gold, timber and coffee beans from these edges. On March 10, 1893, the land was declared a colony of France.

Tribes constantly fought for independence. The maximum uprisings took place during the recruitment in the army in connection with the First World War.

In 1934, the capital of Côte d'Ivoire was proclaimed. She became Abidjan. Soon, in 1945, the first batch was founded, which until then was an alliance of local farmers. Created and headed the organization Felix Houphouët-Boigny.

In 1957 the country received the status of autonomy. And on August 7, 1960 the Ivory Coast became an independent state. The leader of the aforementioned party was elected president. By 1979, the state had grown economically. It occupied the first place in the export of coffee beans. The following years were characterized by drought. This led to a decline in development.

City of cut leaves

Abidjan is the first official capital. Côte d'Ivoire is a unique land where every settlement has its own legend. This city was not an exception. The myth says that when the first Europeans-military intended to build a port on these shores and descended from the ships, they met the local population. The peasants carried on their heads baskets with cut leaves and branches.

One of the men asked the Africans about the name of this village. But the poor did not understand French, which people from remote lands addressed to them. Moreover, they perceived unknown words as a threat. It seemed to one man that the visitors were unhappy with their work. Then the brave man cried out in reply: "Abidjan", which meant "these are cut off branches." Europeans and designated a place on the map.

Has a long history of the temporary capital. Côte d'Ivoire is an old country, but it did not start growing until the end of the nineteenth century. Abidjan was founded in 1896 by French settlers. It is located on the shore of the Gulf of Guinea and consists of four peninsulas within the Ebrie lagoon.

Private Center

The population of the city, whose name is still in the dialect of ebria sounds like "cut leaves", is about 4 million people (and another one million taking into account the suburbs). Virtually everyone speaks French, which is why the city is called African Paris. This is the second point in the world in terms of the number of francophone people (the championship belongs to the city of the Eiffel Tower).

Despite the fact that the new capital of Côte d'Ivoire, Yamoussoukro, Abidjan holds the position of leader. He is the center of political life. This is a permanent place of work for the president and ministers.

Here the construction is actively developing, so another unofficial name is New York of Africa. This is the territory of museums, stadiums and theaters. It has an airport and two ports.

Also Abidjan is a city of football players, more than twenty of whom were finalists of the African Nations Cup.

Homeland of the head of state

President Felix Houphouet-Boigny has done a great deal for his country. It was with him that the Republic flourished and developed. In 1983, a new capital was formed. Côte d'Ivoire headed Yamoussoukro. This city is the birthplace of the first ruler. This is the reason for the transfer of the center of the state.

Its origin has been the settlement since the end of the XIX century. Founded by his French colonialists. It was the first center of Côte d'Ivoire until 1934, when Abidjan took his place.

The area is located two hundred kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean. The latter fact was the reason for the long way to economic recovery. The fact is that Europeans preferred to invest money in points that lie on the coastal zone. This is how Abidjan grew up. That is why the current capital of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire has long remained invisible.

The new history of the city began after the proclamation of independence. With the reforms of Felix Houphouët-Boigny, Ivory Coast began to rise.

Provincial capital

In the center of the country there is an airport (only three cities receive airplanes). Outside of it, agriculture is actively developing. Actively grown yams, bananas, cocoa beans. Livestock is represented by cattle, goats and sheep. Although most industrial facilities are concentrated in Abidjan, Yamoussoukro has food and woodworking companies on its territory.

Despite the fact that the center was moved, the residence of the central government and foreign ministries remained in Abidjan. Because of this, few of the foreigners knew that Yamoussoukro is the capital. Côte d'Ivoire was excellent and quickly developed, and in the 1960s and 1980s, colossal funds began to be invested in the city. But already in the 1980s, there was a noticeable crisis. The decline in prices for exports had a negative impact on development.

General information

The climate in the country varies from tropical to equatorial. The whole year is characterized by high humidity and considerable precipitation. Most of the rains come in April-July and October-November. The average temperature is +30.

In 2010, the city's population was almost 250,000. The greater part (more than 60%) came from the tribes of the Bakongo and the bate-ke. Despite the fact that the state language is French, many communicate in their native dialect.

There is no one quality higher education institution in the capital. Côte d'Ivoire today has a big problem with the education system. The center of student life is Abidjan. Every teenager dreams of going abroad to study.

According to the religious composition, more than 50% are Christians, although in general in the country almost 40% profess Islam. This number of Muslims is due to the fact that a large proportion of them are illegal and foreign workers.

Heart of the capital

Now actively developing tourism. Golden beaches and exotic areas attract more and more travelers. It is not only the nature of the country that is unique, but also its architecture. Supporters of such art can look at national clay houses, covered with palm leaves, or give preference to modern creations.

The pride of Yamoussoukro is the church of Notre-Dame de la Paix. Everyone who enjoys religious architecture knows where to go. They are aware of what kind of country it is, what a capital. Côte d'Ivoire has long called the construction of its business card. It was built after the model of St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. The height is 158 meters. The number of parishioners that the church can accommodate is 11,000. It was decorated with marble from Italy and French colored glass.