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42-581: Yamoussoukro ( / ˌ j æ m ʊ ˈ s uː k r oʊ / ; French pronunciation: [jamusukʁo] , locally [jamsokʁo] ) is the capital of Ivory Coast and an autonomous district . As of the 2014 census, Yamoussoukro is the fifth most populous city in the 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. Yamoussoukro became
84-661: A classical European understanding of the known world : Europe , North Africa , and Southwest Asia . The phrase is related to the enduring power of the city first as the capital of the Republic and the Empire , and later as the centre of the Catholic Church . In several English-speaking states , the terms county town and county seat are also used in lower administrative divisions . In some unitary states , subnational capitals may be known as 'administrative centres'. The capital
126-497: A monarch held his or her court, the selection, relocation, founding, or capture of a modern capital city is a highly symbolic event. For example: The capital city is usually but not always a primary target in a war, as capturing it usually guarantees capture of much of the enemy government, victory for the attacking forces, or at the very least demoralization for the defeated forces. In ancient China , where governments were massive centralized bureaucracies with little flexibility on
168-445: A compromise between two or more cities or other political divisions, historical reasons, or enough land was needed to deliberately build a new planned city for the capital. The majority of national capitals are also the largest city in their respective countries. Modern examples are Beijing , Berlin , Cairo , London , Madrid , Mexico City , Moscow , Paris , Rome , Jakarta , Metro Manila , Seoul , and Tokyo . Counties in
210-405: A distinction is made between the official ( constitutional ) capital and the seat of government, which is in another place . English-language news media often use the name of the capital city as an alternative name for the government of the country of which it is the capital, as a form of metonymy . For example, the "relations between London and Washington " refers to the " relations between
252-645: A lengthy wet season covering the months of March through October, and a shorter dry season that covers the remaining four months. Like many other cities in West Africa , Yamoussoukro is affected by the harmattan , which serves as a primary source of the city's dry season . Despite the lengthy wet season, Yamoussoukro does not see the level of rainfall experienced in Abidjan. Yamoussoukro on average sees roughly 1,130 millimetres (44 in) of precipitation annually. The Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny
294-470: A matter of convention, and because all or almost all the country's central political institutions, such as government departments, supreme court, legislature, embassies, etc., are located in or near them. Many modern capital cities are located near the centre of the country, so that they are more accessible to its population and have better protection from possible invasions. (See also § Capitals in military strategy ) The location may also be based on
336-548: A territory: Plymouth in Montserrat . There are several countries where, for various reasons, the official capital and seat of government are separated: Some historical examples of similar arrangements, where the recognized capital was not the official seat of government: With the rise of the modern nation-state , the capital city has become a symbol for the state and its government , and imbued with political meaning. Unlike medieval capitals, which were declared wherever
378-543: Is a defunct region of Ivory Coast . From 1997 to 2011, it was a first-level subdivision region. The region's capital was Yamoussoukro and its area was 8,875 km . Since 2011, the area formerly encompassed by the region is the Autonomous District of Yamoussoukro and part of Lacs District . At the time of its dissolution, Lacs Region was divided into five departments : Attiégouakro , Didiévi , Tiébissou , Toumodi , and Yamoussoukro . Attiégouakro Department
420-472: Is also a commune : since 2012, the city of Yamoussoukro has been the sole commune in the autonomous district of Yamoussoukro. Stone tools found in the country from hundreds of thousands of years ago show that the area around Yamoussoukro has been occupied since ancient times. Due to the desertification of the Sahara , many moved south to avoid the harsh conditions. Queen Yamoussou, the niece of Kouassi N'Go, ran
462-479: Is officially designated as the "economic capital" of the country. Yamoussoukro is the seat of Yamoussoukro Department and the neighbouring Bélier Region , but Yamoussoukro itself is not part of the region. Beginning in 2001, the city was governed as part of the Yamoussoukro Department and incorporated into Lacs Region . In 2011, the department was abolished and the autonomous district of Yamoussoukro
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#1732851818996504-500: Is often the largest city of its constituent, though not always . Historically, the major economic centre of a state or region has often become the focal point of political power, and became a capital through conquest or federation . Historical examples are ancient Babylon , ancient Athens , ancient Rome , Abbasid Baghdad , Constantinople , Chang'an , and ancient Cusco . The modern capital city has not always existed: in medieval Western Europe, an itinerant (wandering) government
546-524: Is the municipality holding primary status in a country , state , province , department , or other subnational division , usually as its seat of the government . A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the government's offices and meeting places; the status as capital is often designated by its law or constitution . In some jurisdictions , including several countries, different branches of government are in different settlements, sometimes meaning multiple official capitals. In some cases,
588-582: Is the case with Nanjing by Shanghai , Quebec City by Montreal , and several US state capitals . The decline of a dynasty or culture could also mean the extinction of its capital city, as occurred at Babylon and Cahokia . "Political nomadism" was practiced in ancient Near East to increase ties between the ruler and the subjects. Although many capitals are defined by constitution or legislation, many long-time capitals have no such legal designation, including Bern , Edinburgh , Lisbon , London , Paris , and Wellington . They are recognized as capitals as
630-486: Is the site of the largest Christian church in the world: The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace , consecrated by Pope John Paul II on 10 September 1990. The city is served by Yamoussoukro International Airport . The main activities in the city are fishing, forestry, and perfume industries. Yamoussoukro features a tropical wet and dry climate (Aw) under the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system . The city features
672-529: Is usually not a separate national capital, but rather the capital city of one constituent nation will also be the capital of the state overall, such as London , which is the capital of England and of the United Kingdom. Similarly, each of the autonomous communities of Spain and regions of Italy has a capital city, such as Seville and Naples , while Madrid is the capital of the Community of Madrid and of
714-510: The Byzantine capital, Constantinople , Byzantine forces were able to regroup in several provinces; provincial noblemen managed to reconquer the capital after 60 years and preserve the empire for another 200 years after that. The British forces sacked various American capitals repeatedly during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812 , but American forces could still carry on fighting from
756-668: The Kingdom of Spain as a whole and Rome is the capital of Italy and of the region of Lazio . In the Federal Republic of Germany , each of its constituent states (or Länder , plural of Land ) has its own capital city, such as Dresden , Wiesbaden , Mainz , Düsseldorf , Stuttgart , and Munich , as do all of the republics of the Russian Federation . The national capitals of Germany and Russia (the Stadtstaat of Berlin and
798-524: The United Kingdom have historic county towns, which are often not the largest settlement within the county and often are no longer administrative centres, as many historical counties are now only ceremonial, and administrative boundaries are different. The number of new capitals in the world increased substantially since the Renaissance period, especially with the founding of independent nation-states since
840-513: The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Naypyidaw was founded in Burma 's interior as the former capital, Rangoon , was claimed to be overcrowded. A few nation-states have multiple capitals, and there are also several states that have no capital. Some have a city as the capital but with most government agencies elsewhere. There is also a ghost town which is currently the de jure capital of
882-488: The federal city of Moscow ) are also constituent states of both countries in their own right. Each of the states of Austria and cantons of Switzerland also have their own capital cities. Vienna , the national capital of Austria , is also one of the states, while Bern is the ( de facto ) capital of both Switzerland and of the Canton of Bern . Governing entities sometimes plan, design and build new capital cities to house
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#1732851818996924-642: The sub-prefectures of Attiégouakro , Kossou , Lolobo , and Yamoussoukro. There is one commune , which is also named Yamoussoukro, and it shares the same borders as the district. In 2011, the position of Mayor of Yamoussoukro was replaced with a district governor appointed by the head of state. Also noteworthy are the Kossou Dam , the PDCI-RDA House , the schools of the Félix Houphouët-Boigny National Polytechnic Institute ,
966-636: The French. In 1919, the civil station of Yamoussoukro was removed. Félix Houphouët-Boigny became the leader of the village in 1939. A long period passed wherein Yamoussoukro, still a small agricultural town, remained in the shadows. This continued until after the Second World War, which saw the creation of the African Agricultural Union , as well as the first conferences of its chief. However, it
1008-946: The Town Hall, the Protestant Temple, the Mosque, and the Palace of Hosts . The Yamoussoukro International Airport had an average of six hundred passengers and 36 flights in 1995. It is one of two airports in Africa (with Gbadolite ) that could accommodate the Concorde . Among the places of worship are predominantly Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Diocese of Yamoussoukro ( Catholic Church ), United Methodist Church Ivory Coast ( World Methodist Council ), Union of Missionary Baptist Churches in Ivory Coast ( Baptist World Alliance ), Assemblies of God . There are also Muslim mosques. Yamoussoukro
1050-527: The United Kingdom and the United States ". The word capital derives from the Latin word caput (genitive capitis ), meaning ' head ', later borrowed from Medieval Latin capitālis ('of the head'). The Latin phrase Roma Caput Mundi meaning 'Rome capital of the world' ( lit. ' head of the world ' ) was already used by the poet Ovid in 1st century BC . It originates out of
1092-696: The capital has been changed for geopolitical reasons; Finland 's first city, Turku , which had served as the country's capital since the Middle Ages under the Swedish rule, lost its position during the Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812, when Helsinki was made the current capital of Finland by the Russian Empire. The convergence of political and economic or cultural power is by no means universal. Traditional capitals may be economically eclipsed by provincial rivals as
1134-594: The city of N'Gokro in 1929 at the time of French colonization . The village of N'Gokro was renamed Yamoussoukro, the suffix Kro meaning town in Baoule . Diplomatic and commercial relations were then established, but in 1909, on the orders of the Chief of Djamlabo, the Akoué revolted against the administration. Bonzi station, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from Yamoussoukro on the Bouaflé road,
1176-444: The countryside, where they enjoyed support from local governments and the traditionally independent civilian frontiersmen. Exceptions to these generalizations include highly centralized states such as France , whose centralized bureaucracies could effectively coordinate far-flung resources, giving the state a powerful advantage over less coherent rivals, but risking utter ruin if the capital were taken. Lacs Region Lacs Region
1218-484: The eighteenth century. In Canada , there is a federal capital , while the ten provinces and three territories each have capital cities. The states of such countries as Mexico , Brazil (including the famous cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo , capitals of their respective states), and Australia also each have capital cities. For example, the six state capitals of Australia are Adelaide , Brisbane , Hobart , Melbourne , Perth , and Sydney . In Australia,
1260-534: The great crisis of Japanese invasion . National capitals were arguably less important as military objectives in other parts of the world, including the West, because of socioeconomic trends toward localized authority, a strategic modus operandi especially popular after the development of feudalism and reaffirmed by the development of democratic and capitalistic philosophies. In 1204, after the Latin Crusaders captured
1302-485: The legal capital of Ivory Coast in 1983, although the former capital Abidjan retains several political functions. Prior to 2011, what is now the district of Yamoussoukro was part of Lacs Region . The district was created in 2011 and is split into the departments of Attiégouakro and Yamoussoukro . In total, the district contains 169 settlements. Yamoussoukro is a sub-prefecture in Yamoussoukro Department and
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1344-459: The provincial level, a dynasty could easily be toppled with the fall of its capital. In the Three Kingdoms period, both Shu and Wu fell when their respective capitals of Chengdu and Jianye fell. The Ming dynasty relocated its capital from Nanjing to Beijing , where they could more effectively control the generals and troops guarding the borders from Mongols and Manchus . The Ming
1386-521: The region. On 21 July 1977, Houphouët offered his plantations to the State. In March 1983, President Houphouët-Boigny made Yamoussoukro the political and administrative capital of Ivory Coast , as the city was his birthplace. This marked the fourth movement of the country's capital city in a century. Ivory Coast's previous capital cities were Grand-Bassam (1893), Bingerville (1900), and Abidjan (1933). Most economic activity still takes place in Abidjan, and it
1428-424: The seat of government of a polity or of a subdivision. Deliberately planned and designed capitals include: These cities satisfy one or both of the following criteria: Some examples of the second situation (compromise locations) are: Changes in a nation's political regime sometimes result in the designation of a new capital. Akmola (renamed Astana in 1998) became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997, following
1470-655: The term "capital cities" is regularly used to refer to those six state capitals plus the federal capital Canberra , and Darwin , the capital of the Northern Territory . Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and also of the United Arab Emirates overall. In unitary states which consist of multiple constituent nations, such as the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Denmark , each will usually have its own capital city. Unlike in federations , there
1512-791: Was common. The capital city attracts politically motivated people and those whose skills are needed for efficient administration of national or imperial governments, such as lawyers , political scientists , bankers , journalists , and public policy makers . Some of these cities are or were also religious centres , e.g. Constantinople (more than one religion), Rome / Vatican City (the Roman Catholic Church ), Jerusalem (more than one religion), Babylon, Moscow (the Russian Orthodox Church ), Belgrade (the Serbian Orthodox Church ), Paris, and Beijing. In some countries,
1554-401: Was created and separated from the rest of Lacs, which became a separate district . Unlike most districts of the country, the autonomous district of Yamoussoukro is not subdivided into regions . The district, however, is divided into departments, sub-prefectures and a commune. The district consists of the departments of Attiégouakro and Yamoussoukro . The departments further divided into
1596-416: Was created in 2009 and was therefore part of Lacs Region for only a short time. Lacs Region was abolished as part of the 2011 administrative reorganisation of the subdivisions of Ivory Coast . The territories of the departments of Didiévi, Tiébissou, and Toumodi became the second-level Bélier Region in the new Lacs District . The territory of the remaining departments, Attiégouakro and Yamoussoukro, became
1638-614: Was destroyed when Li Zicheng took their seat of power, and this pattern repeats itself in Chinese history, until the fall of the traditional Confucian monarchy in the 20th century. After the Qing dynasty 's collapse, decentralization of authority and improved transportation and communication technologies allowed both the Chinese Nationalists and Chinese Communists to rapidly relocate capitals and keep their leadership structures intact during
1680-692: Was founded in 1996. The city hosted the 2019 World Draughts Championship in draughts and is home to the Ivory Coast Open tennis tournament. The city's two football teams SOA and ASC Ouragahio share the Yamoussoukro Stadium . FC Bibo play in the suburb of Kossou . SOA's basketball club plays in the top division. The city was scheduled to host group stage games for the AFCON 2023, delayed due to weather conditions to January 2024. Capital city A capital city or just capital
1722-562: Was only with independence that Yamoussoukro finally started to rise. In 1950, the village comprised 500 inhabitants. After 1964, the President Félix Houphouët-Boigny made ambitious plans and started to build. One day in 1965, later called the Great Lesson of Yamoussoukro, he visited the plantations with the leaders of the county, inviting them to transpose to their own villages the efforts and agricultural achievements of
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1764-498: Was set on fire, and the French administrator, Simon Maurice, was spared only by the intervention of Kouassi N'Go. As the situation got worse, Maurice, judging that Bonzi had become safe, decided to transfer the French military station to Yamoussoukro, where the French Administration built a pyramid to the memory of Kouassi N'Go, Chief of the Akoué, who was assassinated in 1910 by Akoué rebels, accusing him of being too close to
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