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Bouaké Bwake | |
|---|---|
City,sub-prefecture, andcommune | |
 Bouaké | |
  Bouaké Location within Ivory Coast Show map of Ivory Coast Bouaké Bouaké (Africa) Show map of Africa | |
| Coordinates:7°41′N5°1′W / 7.683°N 5.017°W /7.683; -5.017 | |
| Country |  Ivory Coast |
| District | Vallée du Bandama |
| Region | Gbêkê |
| Department | Bouaké |
| Founded | 1899 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,770 km2 (680 sq mi) |
| • City | 71.788 km2 (27.718 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 312 m (1,024 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 832,371 |
| • Density | 470/km2 (1,220/sq mi) |
| • City | 740,000 |
| • City density | 10,000/km2 (27,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| Website | mairiebke |
Bouaké (orBwake,N’ko: ߓߐ߰ߞߍ߫Bɔ̀ɔkɛ́) is the second-largestcity inIvory Coast, with a population of 740,000 (2021 census).[2] It is the seat of three levels ofsubdivision—Vallée du Bandama District,Gbêkê Region, andBouaké Department. The city is located in the central part of Ivory Coast about 50 kilometres (31 mi) northeast ofLake Kossou, the country's largest lake. It is approximately 350 kilometres (220 mi) north ofAbidjan on theAbidjan-Niger Railway and about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast ofYamoussoukro, the capital of the country.
For the name of the city Bouaké, there are two possible origins:
| Year | Population |
| 1921 | 3,600 |
| 1945 | 22 000 |
| 1960 | 60,000 |
| 1970 | 120,000 |
| 1975 | 175,000 |
| 1988 | 329,850 |
| 1998 | 461,618 |
| 2014 | 542,000 |
In the 1800s a group related to theAkan, theAssabou andBaoulé settled in the vicinity of where Bouaké was, initially the village was named Gbèkèkro, so named after the leader of the Baoulé, Gossan Kwa Gbeke and kro meaning town or settlement of.
Bouaké was established as a French military post in 1899 and has been an administrative center since 1914.[3]
French andUnited Nationspeacekeepers currently reside in the city as part of an enforcedceasefire between the rebel-held north and the government-held south. After the attempt to overthrow the presidentLaurent Gbagbo had failed, the rebel forcesFN (forces nouvelles) led byGuillaume Soro made Bouaké their center of control. Subsequently, Bouaké University, opened in 1996, was closed down in September 2002. Financed byUnesco, the university reopened in April, 2005.
On 4 November 2004, governmental forces used Sukhoi-25s to raid the city as an opening movement towards "territorial liberation", according to Captain Jean-Noël Abbey of the Côte d'Ivoire army.Korhogo, 225 kilometres (140 miles) north of Bouaké, was also targeted.In 2014, the population of the sub-prefecture of Bouaké-SP was 71,949.[4]
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies Bouaké's climate astropical wet and dry (Aw).[5] The city features a lengthywet season spanning the months of March through October, and a shorterharmattan-influenceddry season that covers the remaining 4 months. Despite the lengthy wet season, Bouaké does not see the level of rainfall experienced in Abidjan. Bouaké on average sees roughly 1,100 millimetres (43 in) of precipitation annually.
| Climate data for Bouaké | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 33.0 (91.4) | 33.5 (92.3) | 33.8 (92.8) | 32.7 (90.9) | 31.0 (87.8) | 29.9 (85.8) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.7 (81.9) | 28.5 (83.3) | 30.1 (86.2) | 31.3 (88.3) | 31.7 (89.1) | 30.9 (87.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.6 (79.9) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.8 (82.0) | 27.0 (80.6) | 26.1 (79.0) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.1 (75.4) | 23.8 (74.8) | 24.3 (75.7) | 25.0 (77.0) | 25.7 (78.3) | 25.7 (78.3) | 25.7 (78.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.6 (69.1) | 21.8 (71.2) | 22.3 (72.1) | 22.0 (71.6) | 21.7 (71.1) | 21.2 (70.2) | 20.8 (69.4) | 20.9 (69.6) | 21.1 (70.0) | 21.3 (70.3) | 21.3 (70.3) | 20.3 (68.5) | 21.3 (70.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 12.5 (0.49) | 40.0 (1.57) | 83.8 (3.30) | 126.4 (4.98) | 123.7 (4.87) | 147.2 (5.80) | 117.5 (4.63) | 128.0 (5.04) | 168.1 (6.62) | 107.9 (4.25) | 30.2 (1.19) | 14.6 (0.57) | 1,099.9 (43.30) |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 226.5 | 206.6 | 201.4 | 194.2 | 202.3 | 129.7 | 97.7 | 90.6 | 122.8 | 174.0 | 184.7 | 188.0 | 2,018.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA[6] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Climate Charts (latitude: 07°44'N; longitude: 005°04'W; elevation: 376m)[7] | |||||||||||||
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Tobacco products, building materials, and textiles are produced, andcotton sisal and rice are processed. Gold, mercury, and manganese are found nearby. The overall economy was shaken during the near decade long rebel rule that started in 2002. Many companies either shut down or relocated to Abidjan, Ivory Coast's coastal economic hub. These events resulted in the 60% reduction in formal employment. For example, the city's biggest textile mill, the Gonfreville Establishment, saw an employment decrease of 1200 workers, an 80% reduction. Economic recovery was slow until the early 2010s. After the State took back control of Bouake after the 2010-2011 election, the economy moved into a state of reconstruction. Roads were repaved after years of neglect, which allowed the transportation of goods to become an easier task. Cash crops such as cotton and cashews started to be transported in higher quantities to be processed in Bouake. Singapore-based Olam opened a cashew processing plant in Bouake in 2012, which accounts for nearly 2400 jobs. The agribusiness as a whole is beginning to turn to its original state before the rebel conflict. Additionally, banks have opened new branches and supermarkets have returned to normal operation. The government is stimulating this regrowth through policies, such as price floors, and projects to increase trade, including the construction of a highway to connect Bouake to the nation's capital, Yamoussoukro.
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The city has theBouaké Airport located north-west of the city with a 3,300 metres (10,800 ft) runway.
Located on the line of therailway which connects Abidjan to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, the city has the Railway Station Bouaké operated bySitarail.
The roads that connect Bouaké are the A3 and the A8 going clockwise from the north the A3 connectsKatiola and withKorhogo on the A12 eastwards with further destinations inBurkina Faso andMali. Eastwards the A10 starts in Bouaké and connects toGhana and toBondoukou via the A1 northwards andAbengourou southwards. The A8 connects toAbengourou northwards on the A1 andAbidjan southwards. A3 Southbound connects to the political capitalYamoussoukro and the economic capitalAbidjan. A8 westbound goes toBeoumi andLake Kossou continuing toMan andDanané with further destinations inLiberia andGuinea.
TheUniversité Alassane Ouattara was founded in 1992.
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools
Semi-Public
Private
Public Colleges
Private Colleges
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The most commonplaces of worship areMuslim mosques.[8] There are alsoChristian churches and temples :Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bouaké (Catholic Church), United Methodist Church Ivory Coast (World Methodist Council),Union of Missionary Baptist Churches in Ivory Coast (Baptist World Alliance),Assemblies of God.
| Date elected | Name | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Djibo Sounkalo | PDCI-RDA |
| 1980 | Konan Blédou | PDCI-RDA |
| 1985 | Konan Blédou | PDCI-RDA |
| 1990 | Konan Antoine | PDCI-RDA |
| 1995 | Konan Konan Denis | PDCI-RDA |
| 2000 | Fanny Ibrahima | RDR |
The city itself is asub-prefectures ofBouaké Department; the surrounding suburbs that are outside of the city limits are also organised into a sub-prefecture known as "Bouaké-SP". Bouaké is also acommune.
The subdivision of the city is as follows
North East:- Dougouba, Liberté, Kodiakoffikro, Attienkro, Dar-es-salam 2 and 3, Camp Militaire, Belleville 1 and 2, Sokoura, IDESSA, Kanakro
North West:- Koko, Lycée Municipal, Zone industrielle, Tièrèkro, Gonfreville, Niankoukro, Aéroport, Konankankro, Allokokro, Mamianou, Kamounoukro, Dar-es-salam 1, Tolla Kouadiokro, Beaufort
South East:- Nimbo, Air France 1 2 and 3, N'Gouatanoukro, Kennedy
South West:- N'Gattakro, Ahougnanssou, Broukro 1 and 2, Houphouët-ville, N'Dakro
Center:- Commerce
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The local stadium of Bouaké is theStade de la Paix (in English, "Stadium of Peace"). It was constructed in 1984 for the1984 Africa Cup of Nations, and was one of the host stadiums for the2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Renovation on the stadium started in 2020 in preparation for the event. The renovations increased the stadium's capacity from 35,000 to 40,000 for the event.
The local team is calledBouaké FC and plays in theStade de la Paix.
People that have represented theIvorian national football team that were born in Bouaké are the BrothersKolo Touré andYaya Toure,Abdul Razak (footballer) andLassina Diabaté.
Mopti,Mali
Brescia,Italy
Beersheba,Israel
Villeneuve-sur-Lot,France
Reutlingen,Germany
Zimnicea,Romania[10]The 130 villages of the sub-prefecture of Bouaké-SP and their population in 2014 are:[4]
7°41′N5°1′W / 7.683°N 5.017°W /7.683; -5.017
Regional seat:Bouaké | ||
| Béoumi Department |  | |
| Botro Department | ||
| Bouaké Department | ||
| Sakassou Department | ||
* also a commune | ||
