Abidjan
[key], city (2021 est. pop. 27,263,180 ), former capital of Côte d'Ivoire, a port on
the Ébrié Lagoon (an arm of the Gulf of Guinea). Abidjan is Côte
d'Ivoire's administrative center, commercial capital, and largest city. Its modern port is
centered on Little Bassam Island, which is linked with the rest of the city by two bridges;
the Vridi Canal passing through the lagoon bar provides access to the Atlantic Ocean. Coffee,
cacao, timber, pineapples, manganese, and plantains are the chief items shipped from the port.
Abidjan's major industries are food processing, sawmilling, automotive assembly, and the
manufacture of textiles, chemicals, beverages, and soap. A communications and transportation
hub, the city is connected by road or rail with neighboring countries. An international
airport is nearby. In 1934 Abidjan became the capital of France's Côte d'Ivoire colony.
After 1950, the city became the financial center of French-speaking W Africa. In 1983
Yamoussoukro was designated as the national capital, but
most government offices and foreign embassies are still in Abidjan. Sectarian fighting erupted
between 2002-07 and again between 2010-11, leading to foreign peacekeeping forces being posted
in the city. The Univ. of Abidjan, several technical colleges, and the national library and
museum are in the city, which is also a popular tourist spot. A national park with a
remarkable rain forest is nearby.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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