Discover ABIDJAN: The economic capital of the IVORY COAST | 10 INTERESTING FACTS

Hello everyone, welcome back to Africa Revealed. Today we will visit Abidjan. Abidjan is the economic capital city of Cote d'Ivoire and one of the most populous French-speaking cities in Africa. According to the 2014 census, Abidjan's population was 4.7 million, accounting for 20% of the country's total population. Abidjan, West Africa's cultural crossroads, has a high level of industrialization and urbanization. Because Abidjan is also the largest city in the country and the center of its economic activity, it has officially been designated as the economic capital of the country. The Abidjan Autonomous District which encompasses the city and some of its suburbs is one of 14 districts of Ivory Coast. In this video, you will discover 10 facts about Abidjan. Please subscribe and click on the notification bell in order to be notified of any new video. Now let's get into it. The other capital of Ivory Coast. Abidjan remained the capital of Ivory Coast after its independence from France in 1960. In 1983, the city of Yamoussoukro was designated as the official political capital of Ivory Coast. Although the former capital Abidjan retained several political functions prior to 2011, what is now the district of Yamoussoukro was part of Lake's region. The district was created in 2011 and is split into the departments of Aché-Gracro and Yamoussoukro. For more than three decades, after Cote d'Ivoire achieved independence in 1960, Yamoussoukro served as the country's second capital because it was the birthplace, home and unofficial headquarters of former president Cote d'Ivoire head of state from 1960 to 1993. The town housed the assembly hall of the Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire, the country's only political party until 1990. Yamoussoukro became a major urban center largely because of the president's influence. With a dense infrastructure of roads and public utilities, the fishing, forestry and perfume industries play important roles in the town's economy. Vridi Canal. The Vridi Canal or Canal de Vridi is a navigable canal in Ivory Coast connecting the port of Abidjan to the Atlantic Ocean. It was constructed in 1950 and takes its name from the village of Vridi. The Vridi Canal opened the lagoon to the sea in the same year, with the city becoming the major shipping and financial center of French speaking West Africa. The first of two bridges linking the mainland of Petit Bessam Island was built in 1958. Abidjan's modern deep water port exports coffee, cocoa, timber, bananas, pineapples and manganese from the administrative and business sectors of the mainland. The city stretches southwards to the industrial area of Petit Bessam and the mineral and petroleum docks along the Vridi Canal. Kava. Centre artisanal de la ville d'Abidjan. Kava is located in the middle of Abidjan. There you will find many authentic things such as batiks, car hooks, canvases, loin clothes, bronze statues, jewels, paintings and more. Find also some great pieces from Ghana, Mali or Nigeria. Each vendor has their specialty. You can watch some craftsmen at work. The place is certainly very pleasant but you should go there with the time and patience because you will be constantly stopped by vendors to just take a look. Needless to say bargaining on the price is a must. Abidjan cuisine. Ivorian food is sharp and spicy with extra chilies. Try the following dishes. Acheke. Fermented cassava. Cassava is a staple in Ivory Coast. Acheke is an appealing food with a fermented cassava as its main ingredient. It has a gentle flavor. Acheke is a native to the Zima tribe in Ghana. Brought to Ivory Coast and many other countries in Africa, Ivorians often consume it with braised meat, fish, couscous or plantain. This dish has many different variations. Expensive Acheke or high quality is called Abgojama. Acheke Petit Grain is a cheap version and is often sold in markets. Darbar Acheke is more affordable than traditional Acheke and this type is usually used for barber consumption. You could also try eating Acheke with fish. Fisherman's soup. The dish has roots in Hungary and was an invention of Hungarian fishermen. They made the first soup over an open fire along the rivers in this country. Nowadays it appears across Europe, West Africa and other continents. Initially fishers used kettle to cook this delicious food. If you seek seafood based dish to add to your Ivory Coast dinner recipe menu, it is impossible to ignore fisherman's soup. Although its origin does not belong to Ivory Coast, people in the country love it. It is a fantastic option for those who love spicy food because it is a hot paprika based fish soup. Its red hue will show its spicy level. Ivorians often serve it with red palm oil. Acheke, besides fish, you can find vegetables like green peppers, tomatoes and red onions in this food. Degue. Refresh your taste buds with a bottle of Degue after heavy meals. It is not a kind of yogurt but rather a traditional desert drink of Ivory Coast cuisine. This recipe is a harmonious combination of milder flour, yogurt and a bit of honey or sugar to sweeten. Its flavor closely resembles old smoothie and Asian Sago desserts. Other meals to try include seafood and meat-based foods. Kejeno, chicken and vegetable stew. Mafé, peanut butter stew. Poulet piqué and shukuya, grilled chicken. And Poisson braisé, Ivorian grilled fish. Poisson en papillote, fish baked in parchment packets. Pain brochette, beef skewers and baguette. And Akpisi, herring and eggplant porridge. Plant-based food. Fufu, dough like plantains and garba, fermented cassava and fried tuna. Sweet snacks and beverages. Aloko, fried plantain. Goflotto, sweet fritters and orange-scented cookies. Pyramide. La Pyramide is a high-rise building located in the plateau area of Abidjan. Construction of the building began in 1968 and was completed in 1973. It was designed by Italian architect Rinaldo Olliviere who aimed to capture the activity of an African market in an urban setting. It is one of the most famous buildings in Abidjan because of its distinctive architecture and one of the first high-rise buildings built in the plateau area at the same time of the Ivorian miracle. Experts and other Ivorian elite from Abidjan reside in the body of the pyramid while the ground floor was reserved for shops and boutiques. It's deteriorated significantly in the 1990s. However, when it was deserted at the onset of political trouble it was awaiting renovation. With its inefficient ratio of rentable space of circulation, the building deteriorated considerably from the 1990s and became dangerous during the 2000s. A program for complete renovation of La Pyramide was announced by Ivorian government in 2011. Through an offer of public-private partnership, the cost of renovation is expected to be around and aims to make the pyramid a tourist attraction. Visit and see whether it had the facelift. This is a reservoir referred to by some people as the green lung. Oxygenating the heart of the sprawling city of Abidjan, Benko National Park is spread over 30 square kilometers which is about 3.474 hectares. The park is in the southeastern region of the country. Tropical trees especially hardwood cover most of the area of Benko National Park and are the main attractions of the park. Visitors can also see African civet, dricker and bushbuck roaming freely in the park. Benko National Park is a popular place for recreational activities on the Ivory Coast. The park owes its name to the river that flows through it. Despite pollution, the river still houses religious and mystical ceremonies as its water is considered holy. Although in the past it was dangerous to go into the forest, today the only danger is getting lost in the wooded parts of this vast green encampment. It is recommended to take a guide at the entrance then you choose between one hour or up to three hours of hiking. Don't forget your mosquito repellent. Territorial divisions of Abidjan. Abidjan is divided into northern and southern Abidjan which have 10 formal communes also known as boroughs each run by a mayor. They include communes of northern Abidjan are Abobo consists many of public housing, Ajami important commercial area, Atekube has the Benko forest, Kokodi famous for its residential and embassy districts, housing public institutions, private universities and president's residence, Plato business center of Ivory Coast, Yopugong most populous commune with industrial and residential area. Communes of southern Abidjan are Kumasi an industrial area, Markhori mainly residential area with lots of foreigners, Pogboet has a refinery, airport and lighthouse too, Trecheville has the sports palace and palace of culture, Abidjan racetrack and many other established areas. Music of Abidjan. In an expert, the following is said about music in Abidjan. Abidjan is a turntable for west african music and major producers of musical art in Africa. The city attracts the majority of musicians from Cote d'Ivoire mainly because of its many dance clubs which allow artists to make their debut and express themselves, record companies and national media. The following are a few examples of the most popular artists to have made their debut in Abidjan. Alpha Blondie, Aisha Kone, the group Magic System, Mewe and Tikenja Fakoli, as well as Danji Seli, Chantal Taiba, Nayanka Bell, DJ Arafat. In the 1980s, South African musician Mariam Makeba relocated to Abidjan when she was not allowed back into the country as did the Congolese singer Chalamwana. Since the 1990s, Abidjan has had a significant variety of musical styles being exported throughout Africa and the west. These are Zoblazo, Mapuka, Zouglou and since 2002, the Coupe de Calais. The popularity and great variety of these dances make the city a kind of African dance and musical trend capital. Abidjan is also considered the reggae capital of Africa. Each year, the city organizes the following musical festivals. Abireggae, Fireflow, Les Top D'or, Concerto Festival, La Tierce Gagnon, the RTI Music Awards, DJ Mix at Talakou organized by RTI Music. Transportation around Abidjan. How will you get around the city of Abidjan? What options do you have? Abidjan-Ouagadougou railway line, with stations in Tresville, Ajami and Abobo. The line has two trains, the Belier and the Gazelle, which link Abidjan and Yamoussoukro in about 40 hours. Paved streets, boulevards and urban bypasses, river transports and fishing spots and water buses. Port Boyd Airport, taxis, the taximeter which is red and travels throughout the city. Ouarouarou which are either green, yellow, orange or blue depending on the commune you are headed to. Ferries linking Tresville, Le Plateau and Abobo-Dumé. People of Abidjan and their languages. The traditional language of the city of Abidjan is said to be Hebrew. Since independence, the official language in Abidjan and throughout Côte d'Ivoire has been French. While the official language is a formal variety of standard French similar to that of Paris, the most commonly spoken form of French in the city is a colloquial dialect known as Francais de Tresville or Francais de Moussa, which is different from standard French in pronunciation and in some of its vocabulary. Another form of spoken French in Abidjan is N'uchi, a highly informal variety used as adolescent slang. The historical lingua franca still spoken and understood by most of the tradition, still spoken and understood by most of the trading populations of Abidjan is Jwala. The city hosts many Ivorians from all over the country and about 60 vernacular languages are spoken such as Baolé, Wobé, Beté and Atié. Abidjan is surrounded by more than 30 villages where Baolé and Ebrié are still commonly spoken. We have come to the end of the video. Do leave us a thumbs up if you liked it and comment and share. Until next time, bless!