What is the official capital of Côte d'Ivoire?

The official capital of Côte d’Ivoire is Yamoussoukro. It became the country’s political and administrative capital in March 1983, when President Félix Houphouët-Boigny moved that designation from Abidjan to his birthplace in central Côte d’Ivoire.

Yamoussoukro was chosen partly because of its central location and its strong personal and symbolic connection to Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d’Ivoire’s first president. The city was extensively planned, with unusually broad avenues, landscaped spaces, and monumental buildings. One of its best-known landmarks is the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, completed in 1989 and inspired by St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

A common mix-up is Abidjan, which remains Côte d’Ivoire’s largest city, main port, economic hub, and the location of many government offices and diplomatic missions. Abidjan is often described as the economic or de facto capital, but Yamoussoukro is the official political capital. Before Abidjan, the country’s colonial capitals included Grand-Bassam and Bingerville.