Abidjan is the Ivory Coast’s economic center and the continent’s most populated French-speaking metropolis. According to the 2014 Ivory Coast census, Abidjan has a population of 4.7 million people, accounting for 20% of the country’s total population. Only Lagos, Nigeria’s former capital, outnumbers Abidjan in terms of population in West Africa. Abidjan, known as the cultural crossroads of West Africa, has a high degree of industrialization and urbanisation.

Following the building of a new port in 1931 and its designation as the capital city of the then-French colony in 1933, the city flourished swiftly. After the Ivory Coast gained independence from France in 1960, Abidjan remained the capital. In 1951, the Vridi Canal was completed, allowing Abidjan to become a major seaport. The city of Yamoussoukro was declared as Cote d’Ivoire’s formal political capital in 1983. Almost all political institutions and foreign embassies, on the other hand, remain in Abidjan. Abidjan has been recognized as the country’s “economic capital” since it is also the country’s biggest city and the center of its economic activities.

Abidjan – Info Card

Tourism in Abidjan

Abidjan is a one-of-a-kind African metropolis. The city’s nicknames, such as “Manhattan of the Tropics,” “Small Manhattan,” and “Pearl of the Lagoons,” illustrate the city’s erratic and victorious image. It is the ideal location for business travel because of its accommodations – such as the Golf Hôtel – and athletic facilities, as well as its vibrant nightlife, transportation and communication connections, and impressiveness.

In the Vridi neighborhood of Abidjan, there are other beaches surrounding the lagoon with palm and coconut trees, which are highly popular on weekends due to the scenic sight of pineapple and coconut vendors. Nonetheless, because to the riptides that afflict almost the whole coast of the Gulf of Guinea, swimming is not normally permitted in this region.

Tourism has never truly evolved as an economic activity in Cote d’Ivoire, and the country does not figure among popular vacation spots.

Abidjan is sometimes referred to as “West Africa’s Paris.” The city of Abidjan developed under the lengthy and steady administration of the Ivory Coast’s Godfather Felix Huphouet-Boigny. However, the city has suffered as a result of the city’s political instability and civil conflict during the last decade. Neglect, poor building and public space care, and a major migration of immigrants have created a feeling of “lost grandeur” in the city. This can be observed no better than at the renowned Hotel Ivoire. It’s like stepping into the 1960s when you go in; the decor and furnishings haven’t been updated or changed much since it was built. Unfortunately, instead of turquoise seas, its enormous swimming pool has weeds growing on the bottom. The public zoo is quite lovely. It’s a lovely facility with plenty of fascinating animals for just CFA 200, so it’s definitely worth the money. Don’t forget to visit Bassam, Abidjan’s most popular beach.

Climate of Abidjan

The city has a tropical wet and dry climate, with a lengthy rainy season from May to July, a short rainy season (September–November), and two dry seasons, but rain falls even in these dry seasons. Throughout the year, Abidjan is humid, with humidity levels reaching or above 80%. It may rain constantly for many days or violently for over an hour during the rainy season. The rainfall is plentiful, averaging over 2,000 mm per year. From January through June, monthly rainfall ranges between 20 and 500 millimeters, while the temperature remains relatively steady at roughly 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit).

Geography of Abidjan

Abidjan is located on the country’s south-east coast, on the Gulf of Guinea. On the Ébrié Lagoon, the city is situated. The commercial area Le Plateau, as well as Cocody, Deux Plateaux (the city’s richest neighborhood and a diplomatic hub), and Adjamé, a slum on the lagoon’s north side, form the city’s core. To the south are Treichville and Marcory, to the west are Attecoube, Locodjro, Abobo Doume, and Yopougon, and in the center lies Île Boulay. Port Bout, to the south, is home to the airport and the primary seaport. 5°25′ North, 4°2′ West (5.41667, 4.03333) is the latitude and longitude of Abidjan.

Economy of Abidjan

The city is home to the country’s main stock market, the Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM). Abidjan is the headquarters of Air Ivoire.

Air Afrique had its headquarters in Abidjan prior to its demise.

Food processing, timber, vehicle production, and textile, chemical, and soap making are all major businesses. A big oil refinery is also there.

The lagoons area is the most industrialized part of the nation.

Its primary businesses are construction and maintenance, with important multinational companies such as SETAO, Colas, Bouygues, Jean Lefebvre, and Swiss Holcim present.

There are textile businesses in the north that package cultivated cotton for export or on-site processing of fabric, canvas, batik garments, and other items. The textile industry in Ivory Coast is particularly active, accounting for 15.6 percent of net investment, 13 percent of turnover, and 24 percent of value added.

There are multiple offshore oil wells (Ivory Coast is an oil-producing nation, even though it is not self-sufficient in this sector), which leads to the establishment of a chemical industry with petroleum refineries and a port for hydrocarbons. It also works on valuable stones and metals for exports.

The city also has a significant wood processing industry, which is mostly carried out at the port by river from the woods of central Canada. It is exported either in its natural state, as mahogany, which was first marketed by the English Victorians two centuries ago, or in a semi-industrialized state, as peeled wood, plywood, and chipboard.

Production of oil palm, processing of bergamot and Seville oranges, processing of rubber from western plantations, the manufacture of beverages from pineapples, oranges, and mangoes, and especially the roasting of robust coffee, which comes from western plantations and is the world’s third largest producer, behind Colombia and Brazil, as well as packaging and processing of cocoa, including Ivory Coast’s, the world’s leaner cocoa. (At least one initial local processing is done on 37% of cocoa and 10% of coffee products). Abidjan is also Africa’s first tuna port, with three factories preparing tuna for the European market. About 3,000 paid jobs are created as a result of this activity, which is also a significant source of foreign cash.

Much of the city’s economy, like in other Third World developing nations, is based on what economists refer to as the “informal sector,” which includes numerous “odd jobs.”