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Abidjan
KNOWLEDGE OF Abidjan
Abidjan is the largest city and former capital of Côte d'Ivoire. It is the commercial and banking center of Côte d'Ivoire as well as the de facto capital. (Yamoussoukro is the official capital.) It stands in Ébrié Lagoon on several converging peninsulas and islands, connected by bridges. There are an estimated 4 to 5 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area.
The city is a study in contrasts. On one hand the city is hot and humid, congested and full of street hawkers. On the other hand, Abidjan is referred to as the "Paris of West Africa" because of its parks, broad boulevards, universities, exotic fashions and museums. Neighborhoods include Cocody, an upscale residential area located east of the modern business district, and Treichville, located southward on Petit-Bassam Island, with its busy traditional market. Banco National Park lies north of the city. Abidjan harbors numerous government departments. It is also the hub of the national road system and the terminus of the Abidjan-Niger Railway, which extends northward into Burkina Faso.
Since the start of the Ivorian Civil War in 2002, insecurity in Abidjan has risen, with frequent riots targeting foreigners as well as a sharp increase in criminality. Once one of the wealthiest and most peaceful cities in Africa, Abidjan is now considered one of the most dangerous cities on the continent.
Estimates for the population of the Abidjan metropolitan area as of 2005 vary between 4 and 5 million inhabitants. The District of Abidjan covers most of the metropolitan area, although the cities of Grand Bassam, Jacqueville, and Dabou, located outside of the District of Abidjan, are often considered to be part of the metropolitan area.
As Abidjan is inhabited by people from a wide array of different ethnicities, the French language is used as the language of communication in the metropolitan area, which is the fourth-largest French speaking metropolitan area in the world after Paris and Kinshasa and Montreal. A specific colloquial Abidjan French has even appeared, with a pronunciation and some colloquial words distinct from standard French. The area of Abidjan is recognized as the only area in Africa where French (colloquial Abidjan French) is truly a native tongue.
Abidjan lies on the Ébrié Lagoon. The business district, Le Plateau, is the centre of the city. It lies with Cocody, Deux Plateaux (the richest neighbourhood with mansions, typically inhabited by diplomats and the wealthy) and the slum area of Adjamé on the north shore of the lagoon, while Treichville and Marcory (also poor areas) lie to the south, Abobo-Doume and Yapougon to the west and Boulay Island in the middle of the lagoon. Further south lies Port Bouët, home to the airport and main seaport. Abidjan is located at 5°25' North, 4°2' West (5.41667, -4.03333).
The city grew after the construction of a new wharf in 1931 and its designation as the capital of the then French colony in 1933. The completion of the Vridi Canal in 1951 enabled it to become an important sea port. In 1983, Yamoussoukro was designated as the nation's capital, but most government offices and foreign embassies remained in Abidjan.
The city is a study in contrasts. On one hand the city is hot and humid, congested and full of street hawkers. On the other hand, Abidjan is referred to as the "Paris of West Africa" because of its parks, broad boulevards, universities, exotic fashions and museums. Neighborhoods include Cocody, an upscale residential area located east of the modern business district, and Treichville, located southward on Petit-Bassam Island, with its busy traditional market. Banco National Park lies north of the city. Abidjan harbors numerous government departments. It is also the hub of the national road system and the terminus of the Abidjan-Niger Railway, which extends northward into Burkina Faso.
Since the start of the Ivorian Civil War in 2002, insecurity in Abidjan has risen, with frequent riots targeting foreigners as well as a sharp increase in criminality. Once one of the wealthiest and most peaceful cities in Africa, Abidjan is now considered one of the most dangerous cities on the continent.
Estimates for the population of the Abidjan metropolitan area as of 2005 vary between 4 and 5 million inhabitants. The District of Abidjan covers most of the metropolitan area, although the cities of Grand Bassam, Jacqueville, and Dabou, located outside of the District of Abidjan, are often considered to be part of the metropolitan area.
As Abidjan is inhabited by people from a wide array of different ethnicities, the French language is used as the language of communication in the metropolitan area, which is the fourth-largest French speaking metropolitan area in the world after Paris and Kinshasa and Montreal. A specific colloquial Abidjan French has even appeared, with a pronunciation and some colloquial words distinct from standard French. The area of Abidjan is recognized as the only area in Africa where French (colloquial Abidjan French) is truly a native tongue.
Abidjan lies on the Ébrié Lagoon. The business district, Le Plateau, is the centre of the city. It lies with Cocody, Deux Plateaux (the richest neighbourhood with mansions, typically inhabited by diplomats and the wealthy) and the slum area of Adjamé on the north shore of the lagoon, while Treichville and Marcory (also poor areas) lie to the south, Abobo-Doume and Yapougon to the west and Boulay Island in the middle of the lagoon. Further south lies Port Bouët, home to the airport and main seaport. Abidjan is located at 5°25' North, 4°2' West (5.41667, -4.03333).
The city grew after the construction of a new wharf in 1931 and its designation as the capital of the then French colony in 1933. The completion of the Vridi Canal in 1951 enabled it to become an important sea port. In 1983, Yamoussoukro was designated as the nation's capital, but most government offices and foreign embassies remained in Abidjan.
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