City Africa
Abidjan
Abidjan is the biggest city in Côte d'Ivoire. It is built around a big lagoon, with tall office towers by the water.
Abidjan is the largest city of Côte d'Ivoire, with 5,616,633 people at the 2021 census. Spread around the Ébrié Lagoon, it grew from a colonial port: a canal finished in 1950 opened the lagoon to ships, and its Plateau district is a cluster of office towers, banks and government buildings.
Abidjan (5,616,633 people, census 14 December 2021; Abidjan District 6,321,017) is Côte d'Ivoire's largest city and economic heart. Built as a colonial port and capital from 1934, it grew fast after the Vridi Canal (1950) opened the Ébrié Lagoon to shipping; Yamoussoukro was named the official capital in 1983.
Photo: RyansWorld, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover Abidjan
Abidjan is the biggest city in Côte d'Ivoire. More than five million people live there.
It is built around a lagoon, a big stretch of calm water near the sea.
Abidjan is the largest city of Côte d'Ivoire, in West Africa. At the 2021 census, 5,616,633 people lived in the city, and 6,321,017 in the wider Abidjan District.
The city is spread out around the Ébrié Lagoon, which splits it into separate parts, Universalis says. Its Plateau district holds government offices, banks and company headquarters in tall buildings.
National Institute of Statistics (INS, via City Population), census of 14 December 2021: Abidjan city 5,616,633, first among Ivorian cities (2014: 4,395,243; 1998: 2,877,948; 1988: 1,929,079); Abidjan District 6,321,017 (2014: 4,707,404).
Universalis: the largest city of Côte d'Ivoire and one of the largest in West Africa; it concentrates leading economic and political functions; spread out and fragmented by the Ébrié Lagoon. The Plateau district's buildings hold the city's metropolitan functions: central administration, banks and head offices.
- Country
- Côte d'Ivoire
- People in Abidjan (census, 14 December 2021)
- 5,616,633
- People in Abidjan District (same census)
- 6,321,017
- Rank in Côte d'Ivoire
- largest city
The Plateau across the lagoon
Look at the tall towers across the water! Palm trees and green grass grow along the shore.
The lagoon in front is calm and blue.
This photo shows the Plateau, Abidjan's central business district, across the lagoon on 14 May 2010. Office towers and apartment blocks of many shapes and colors stand together, some with company names on their roofs. Below them, a strip of palm trees and green grass lines the shore, and the wide lagoon fills the front of the picture.
Universalis says the Plateau was given special attention to make it modern, and its buildings hold the city's central offices, banks and headquarters.
Commons: 'View of Le Plateau, the central business district of Abidjan', 14 May 2010, own work, author name RyansWorld (uploaded by Rjruiziii; the file's structured data gives both names for the photographer), CC BY-SA 3.0; Canon Digital IXUS 100 IS; no camera location.
Universalis: particular attention was paid to the modernity of the Plateau, whose buildings concentrate all the city's metropolitan functions (central administrations, banks, head offices); in the colonial town the Plateau was cut off from the other districts by the lagoon on one side.
- Photo
- the Plateau seen across the lagoon, 14 May 2010
- The Plateau
- the central business district (Commons)
- Hôtel Ivoire
- opened 1963, about 2.6 km east-southeast of the city's point (Wikidata)
A port on a lagoon
Long ago, Abidjan was a small place by a lagoon. People dug a canal so ships could reach it.
Then the city grew and grew!
Abidjan was set up in colonial times as a place for trade and transport, its site chosen because it was convenient, Universalis says. The first railway track was laid in 1904, a wharf opened at Port-Bouët in 1927, and Abidjan became the capital of Côte d'Ivoire in 1934.
In 1950 the Vridi Canal was finished, opening the big lagoon to ships and their ports. The city then spread onto the island of Petit-Bassam and across the plateaus around the lagoon. In 1983 Yamoussoukro was named the official capital.
Universalis: a colonial logistics creation, its site chosen for convenience, Abidjan quickly drew interests and investment: the first rail laid in 1904, a wharf opened at Port-Bouët in 1927, and in 1950 the Vridi Canal completed, opening a vast lagoon to port facilities. A port and commercial town of the first rank in French West Africa, it became the capital of Côte d'Ivoire in 1934. The early town had the Plateau at its center, with Treichville to the south and Adjamé to the north; it then spread along the port on Petit-Bassam island and onto the plateaus to the north (Abobo), west (Yopougon) and east (Cocody-Riviera). In the 1960s and 1970s a 'new town' with homes and jobs was built at Yopougon. The official transfer of the political capital to Yamoussoukro dates from 1983.
- First railway track laid
- 1904
- Capital of Côte d'Ivoire
- from 1934
- Vridi Canal finished
- 1950
A port, a canal and the lagoon
Ships come into Abidjan's port through a canal. The lagoon is very long!
The Autonomous Port of Abidjan, at Treichville, lies about 6 kilometers south of the city's center point, Wikidata says. Ships reach it through the Vridi Canal, finished in 1950.
The Ébrié Lagoon stretches for about 130 kilometers along the coast, Wikidata says. Because the lagoon splits the city into parts, the links between its districts have stayed weak, Universalis notes.
Universalis: the Vridi Canal (1950) opened the lagoon to port infrastructure; the city grew along the port on Petit-Bassam island, south-east of Treichville; spread out and fragmented by the Ébrié Lagoon, it has remained marked by weak links between its districts.
Wikidata (from the city point, 4.0267° W, 5.3364° N): Hôtel Ivoire (opened 1963) 2.57 km ESE; Autonomous Port of Abidjan ('commercial port at Treichville') 5.95 km S; Banco National Park 7.05 km NNW. Ébrié Lagoon: length 130 km, area 560 km².
- Autonomous Port of Abidjan
- at Treichville, about 6 km south of the city's point (Wikidata)
- Ébrié Lagoon
- about 130 km long (Wikidata)
- Wharf at Port-Bouët
- opened 1927
Warm all year, with two rainy peaks
Abidjan is warm all year round. June is very rainy, and so is October.
The Japan Meteorological Agency's normals for Abidjan (1991–2020) give average temperatures between about 25 and 28 °C in every month. March and April are the warmest, and August the coolest.
About 1,750 millimeters of precipitation fall in a year. The rain peaks twice: June is by far the wettest month, with about 412 millimeters, and there is a second peak in October. January is the driest month, with about 29.
Japan Meteorological Agency, world station normals 1991–2020, Abidjan (5.25° N, 3.93° W, 7 m): monthly mean temperature from 24.6 °C in August to 28.4 °C in March and April. Precipitation sums to 1,750.1 mm; June (411.5 mm) and May (266.0 mm) form the main peak, October (216.6 mm) and November (188.7 mm) a second one, with August (45.0 mm) in between; January (28.8 mm) is the driest month.
- Warmest months, average temperature (JMA normals, 1991–2020)
- 28.4 °C (March and April)
- June, precipitation (same normals)
- 411.5 mm
- Precipitation in a year (sum of the monthly normals)
- about 1,750 mm
Offices, a lagoon city and a forest park
Abidjan has a big port and many office towers. It even has a forest park, protected since 1953!
Abidjan is a city of the port and of offices: Universalis calls its port and transport role the basis of its power, alongside industry, while the Plateau's buildings hold banks and headquarters. In the 1960s and 1970s a new town of homes and workplaces was built at Yopougon, on the city's western side.
About 7 kilometers north-northwest of the city's center point lies Banco National Park, protected since 1953 and covering about 3,438 hectares, Wikidata says.
Universalis: without setting aside its logistics functions (the basis of its power) and its industry, the city gave particular attention to the modernity of the Plateau; in the 1960s and 1970s a genuine 'new town' was developed at Yopougon, combining housing and jobs largely for the middle classes; population grew 4.8% a year from 1988 to 1998.
Wikidata: Banco National Park (Q1858100), a protected area of Côte d'Ivoire, inception 1953, area 3,438 ha, 7.05 km NNW of the city point.
- Banco National Park
- protected since 1953; about 3,438 hectares (Wikidata)
- Yopougon
- a 'new town' of homes and jobs built from the 1960s
- Plateau
- central administration, banks and head offices
Abidjan on the map
Find Côte d'Ivoire on the globe, in West Africa. Abidjan is on its coast, by a lagoon.
Abidjan lies at about 5.3° north, on the coast of Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa, around the Ébrié Lagoon. Measured from the city's center point, Hôtel Ivoire is about 2.6 kilometers east-southeast and the port about 6 kilometers south.
Banco National Park is about 7 kilometers north-northwest.
Abidjan lies at about 5.32° N and 4.04° W (Natural Earth point; Wikidata's city point is 2.34 km NE of it). From Wikidata's point: Hôtel Ivoire 2.57 km ESE, Autonomous Port of Abidjan 5.95 km S, Banco National Park 7.05 km NNW.
Universalis: the city grew along the port on Petit-Bassam island and onto the plateaus to the north (Abobo), west (Yopougon) and east (Cocody-Riviera).
- Latitude
- about 5.3° north
- Longitude
- about 4.0° west
- Setting
- around the Ébrié Lagoon, near the ocean
Amazing facts
-
A canal dug in 1950 let ships sail into Abidjan's lagoon!
The Vridi Canal, finished in 1950, opened the Ébrié Lagoon to ships and port facilities, Universalis says.
Universalis: in 1950 the Vridi Canal was completed, opening a vast lagoon to port infrastructure.
-
Abidjan has a forest park that has been protected since 1953!
Banco National Park, about 7 kilometers from the city's center point, has been protected since 1953, Wikidata says.
Wikidata: Banco National Park, a protected area of Côte d'Ivoire, inception 1953, area 3,438 ha, 7.05 km NNW of the city point.
-
The lagoon next to Abidjan is about 130 kilometers long!
The Ébrié Lagoon stretches about 130 kilometers along the coast and covers about 560 square kilometers, Wikidata says.
Wikidata: Ébrié Lagoon (Q273288), length 130 km, area 560 km².
-
In Abidjan, June gets lots and lots of rain!
In the Japan Meteorological Agency's normals, June brings about 412 millimeters of precipitation, but January only about 29.
JMA normals 1991–2020, Abidjan: June 411.5 mm, January 28.8 mm.
Words to know
- lagoon
- a stretch of calm water separated from the sea by a strip of land
- canal
- a waterway dug by people for ships or boats
- wharf
- a platform at the water's edge where ships load and unload
- business district
- the part of a city with many offices, banks and company headquarters
- national park
- an area of nature protected by a country's government
- census
- an official count of all the people in a country
Discovery challenge
-
Abidjan is the biggest city of which country?
Abidjan is the largest city of which West African country?
Abidjan, on the Ébrié Lagoon, is the largest city of which country?
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Kenya
- Egypt
Show the answer
Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire!
Côte d'Ivoire.
Côte d'Ivoire.
-
What kind of water is Abidjan built around?
Abidjan is spread out around which kind of water body?
Universalis says the city is fragmented by the Ébrié what?
- A lagoon
- A glacier
- A desert lake
Show the answer
A lagoon
A lagoon!
A lagoon, the Ébrié Lagoon.
The Ébrié Lagoon.
-
What was dug in 1950 so ships could reach Abidjan?
What was finished in 1950, opening the lagoon to ships?
Which work, completed in 1950, opened the lagoon to port facilities?
- The Vridi Canal
- A tunnel under the sea
- A mountain railway
Show the answer
The Vridi Canal
A canal!
The Vridi Canal.
The Vridi Canal.
-
What is in Abidjan's Plateau district?
What fills the Plateau, Abidjan's central business district?
Universalis says the Plateau's buildings hold which functions?
- Offices, banks and government buildings
- Farms and fields
- Sand dunes
Show the answer
Offices, banks and government buildings
Tall office towers!
Offices, banks and government buildings.
Central administrations, banks and head offices.
-
Which month is the rainiest in Abidjan?
In the Japan Meteorological Agency's normals, which month is Abidjan's wettest?
JMA normals (1991–2020): which month has Abidjan's highest precipitation, 411.5 mm?
- June
- January
- August
Show the answer
June
June!
June, with about 412 millimeters.
June (411.5 mm).
Nearby places
-
Watch
City
Yamoussoukro
Yamoussoukro has officially been the capital of Côte d'Ivoire since 21 March 1983. It lies in the center of the country, on the main road from south to north. The city is spread out, with wide avenues, major colleges and a basilica. At the 2014 census the city had 212,670 people.
-
Watch
City
Accra
Accra is the capital of Ghana, on the coast of West Africa. It began as a small village of the Ga people beside the Korle Lagoon. Three old forts built by European traders still stand by the sea. More than 5.4 million people lived in the Greater Accra Region at the 2021 census.
-
Watch
City
Lomé
Lomé is the capital of Togo, on the Atlantic coast of West Africa, right at the border with Ghana. Togo's 2022 census counted 2,188,376 people in Lomé, more than ten times Kara, the next city. A monument in the city marks Togo's independence on 27 April 1960.
-
Watch
City
Cotonou
Cotonou is the largest city in Benin, on a strip of land between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Nokoué, Universalis says. It is not the official capital, which is Porto-Novo, but it grew with its port. Benin's 2013 census counted 679,012 people in Cotonou.
-
Watch
City
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital of Liberia and its only large city: 1,761,032 people lived there at the 2022 census. It was founded in 1822 by settlers from the United States and stretches along a narrow sandy strip of coast around Cape Mesurado. It is one of the rainiest capitals in Africa.
-
Watch
City
Bamako
Bamako is the capital and by far the biggest city of Mali, on both banks of the Niger River. It began as a market village, grew quickly after the railway from Dakar was built in 1904, and now stretches about 22 kilometers from east to west. About 4.17 million people lived there in 2023.
-
Watch
Landmark
Great Mosque of Djenné
The Great Mosque of Djenné is a huge earthen building in the old town of Djenné in Mali. It was rebuilt in 1906–1907, and its walls of earth are kept in shape by plastering campaigns every year. It is part of the Old Towns of Djenné World Heritage Site.
-
Watch
City
Freetown
Freetown is the capital of Sierra Leone, on the Atlantic coast of West Africa. It stretches from east to west between a jagged shore and hills 350 to 400 meters high. First founded in 1787 and founded again in 1792, it had 609,174 people at the 2021 mid-term census.
Explore next
-
Watch
Country
Côte d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire, also called Ivory Coast, is a country on the coast of West Africa. It has lagoons along the sea, rainforest in the south and savanna in the north. It became the world's leading grower of cocoa beans in the late 1980s, and about 32.7 million people lived there in 2025.
-
Watch
City
Accra
Accra is the capital of Ghana, on the coast of West Africa. It began as a small village of the Ga people beside the Korle Lagoon. Three old forts built by European traders still stand by the sea. More than 5.4 million people lived in the Greater Accra Region at the 2021 census.
-
Watch
City
Dakar
Dakar is the capital of Senegal, on the Cap-Vert peninsula facing the Atlantic Ocean. Universalis calls it the westernmost city in Africa. Founded in 1857 on the site of a fishing village, it grew into a big port. Senegal's 2023 census counted 1,278,469 people in the Dakar department and 3,186,088 in the wider city.
-
Watch
City
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital of Liberia and its only large city: 1,761,032 people lived there at the 2022 census. It was founded in 1822 by settlers from the United States and stretches along a narrow sandy strip of coast around Cape Mesurado. It is one of the rainiest capitals in Africa.
-
Watch
City
Yamoussoukro
Yamoussoukro has officially been the capital of Côte d'Ivoire since 21 March 1983. It lies in the center of the country, on the main road from south to north. The city is spread out, with wide avenues, major colleges and a basilica. At the 2014 census the city had 212,670 people.
-
Watch
City
Abuja
Abuja is the capital of Nigeria, in the middle of the country. It was planned from the start: in 1976 the government decided to build a new capital on the savanna, and in 1991 it moved there from Lagos. Planners set aside land for parks and green spaces, and the huge Aso Rock rises at the city's edge.
-
Watch
City
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia, high in the hills of East Africa at about 2,355 meters. It was founded in the 1880s, and its name means 'new flower' in Amharic. Electric light-rail trains cross the city, and its National Museum shows a copy of Lucy, a famous fossil 3.2 million years old.
-
Watch
City
Alexandria
Alexandria is Egypt's second-largest city, a port on the Mediterranean Sea west of the Nile delta. Alexander the Great founded it in 331 BC; a fort now stands on the ruins of its ancient lighthouse, and a new library on the site of its ancient one. About 5.36 million people lived there in 2023.
For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Locate Abidjan on the Ébrié Lagoon on the coast of Côte d'Ivoire.
- Explain how a canal can turn a lagoon into a port.
- Describe how a business district differs from other parts of a city.
- Read a climate table and find two rainy peaks in one year.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Abidjan's lagoon splits the city into parts. How might people get from one part to another?
- Why would people dig a canal from the ocean into a lagoon?
- Abidjan has a forest park inside the city. Why might a big city want to protect a forest?
Try at home or in class
- Lagoon model: make a sand bar in a tray of water, then dig a channel through it and float a toy boat in.
- City map: draw a lagoon and place the Plateau, the port and the forest park around it.
- Rain chart: plot Abidjan's monthly precipitation and mark the two peaks.
Key vocabulary: lagoon, canal, wharf, business district, national park, census
Where these facts come from
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Natural Earth vector data , Natural Earth (NACIS) (Public domain)
- Ivory Coast: Districts and Cities , City Population (Thomas Brinkhoff), from the Institut National de la Statistique de Côte d'Ivoire
- Abidjan , Encyclopaedia Universalis
- Abidjan: world station climate normals (平年値データ) , Japan Meteorological Agency
- World normals by region and country (normals period 1991-2020) , Japan Meteorological Agency
- File:Plateau 2010, Abidjan.jpg (RyansWorld, 14 May 2010) , Wikimedia Commons
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file (public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA); see each media record)
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated November 1, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.