Bouaké (or Bwake,

N’ko N'Ko () is a script devised by Solomana Kante in 1949, as a modern writing system for the Mandé languages of West Africa. The term ''N'Ko'', which means ''I say'' in all Mandé languages, is also used for the Mandé literary standard written ...

: ߓߐ߰ߞߍ߫ ''Bɔ̀ɔkɛ́'') is the second-largest

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre i ...

, with a population of 740,000 (2021 census). It is the seat of three levels of subdivision— Vallée du Bandama District,

Gbêkê Region Gbêkê Region (also known as Wawlè Region) is one of the 31 regions of Ivory Coast. Since its establishment in 2011, it has been one of two regions in Vallée du Bandama District. The seat of the region is Bouaké and the region's population in t ...

, and

Bouaké Department Bouaké Department is a department of Gbêkê Region in Vallée du Bandama District, Ivory Coast. In 2021, its population was 931,851 making it the second most populous department in the country behind Abidjan. The seat of the department is the ci ...

. The city is located in the central part of Ivory Coast about northeast of

Lake Kossou Lake Kossou (french: Lac de Kossou) is Côte d'Ivoire's largest lake. It lies on the Bandama River in the center of the country. It is an artificial lake, created in 1973 by damming the Bandama River at Kossou (the Kossou Dam). Some 75,000 Baoul ...

, the country's largest lake. It is approximately north of

Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N’ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, making it the sixth most populous city p ...

on the

Abidjan-Niger Railway The Abidjan-Niger Railway is a single-track metre gauge line in francophone West Africa that links Abidjan, the economic capital of Ivory Coast to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. The railway, like others on the continent, was constructe ...

and about northeast of Yamoussoukro, the capital of the country.

Name

For the name of the city Bouaké, there are two possible origins: * The corruption of the chief name Kwa Gbéké that made the foundations of the city of Bouaké. * The name Bouaké coming from two Baoulé words: "Boua" which means sheep and "Ké" which means dry. Thus meaning the place in which sheep are dried as they would have seen Jola drying sheep skins when they arrived in Bouaké.

Demographics

History

In the 1800s a group related to the

Akan Akan may refer to: People and languages *Akan people, an ethnic group in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire *Akan language, a language spoken by the Akan people *Kwa languages, a language group which includes Akan * Central Tano languages, a language group ...

, the Assabou and Baoulé 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.

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

peacekeepers currently reside in the city as part of an enforced

ceasefire A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state ac ...

between the rebel-held north and the government-held south. After the attempt to overthrow the president

Laurent Gbagbo Koudou Laurent Gbagbo
, FPI website . ( FN (''forces nouvelles'') led by Guillaume Soro made Bouaké their center of control. Subsequently, Bouaké University, opened in 1996, was closed down in September 2002. Financed by

Unesco The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

, 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 Korhogo is a city in northern Ivory Coast. It is the seat of both Savanes District and Poro Region. It is also a commune and the seat of and a sub-prefecture of Korhogo Department. In the 2014 census, the city had a population of 243,048, mak ...

, north of Bouaké, was also targeted. In 2014, the population of the sub-prefecture of Bouaké-SP was 71,949.

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies Bouaké's climate as tropical wet and dry (Aw). The city features a lengthy

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...

spanning the months of March through October, and a shorter

harmattan The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into the ...

-influenced

dry season The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The ...

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 of precipitation annually.

Economy

Tobacco products, building materials, and textiles are produced, and

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor pe ...

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.

Transports

The city has the Bouaké Airport located north-west of the city with a runway. Located on the line of the

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

which connects Abidjan to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, the city has the Railway Station Bouaké operated by

Sitarail Sitarail is a private company that has the concession to operate railway lines formerly operated by the government. Countries include: * Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso * Cameroon Sitarail is part of the Bolloré group. Timeline 2016 * Operati ...

. The roads that connect Bouaké are the A3 and the A8 going clockwise from the north the A3 connects Katiola and with

on the A12 eastwards with further destinations in

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana t ...

and

Mali Mali (; ), officially the Republic of Mali,, , ff, 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞥆𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 𞤃𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭, Renndaandi Maali, italics=no, ar, جمهورية مالي, Jumhūriyyāt Mālī is a landlocked country in West Africa. Ma ...

. Eastwards the A10 starts in Bouaké and connects to

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Tog ...

and to Bondoukou via the A1 northwards and

Abengourou Abengourou is a city in eastern Côte d'Ivoire. It is the seat of both Comoé District and Indénié-Djuablin Region. It is also a commune and the seat of and a sub-prefecture of Abengourou Department. Abengourou is primarily populated by the ...

southwards. The A8 connects to

northwards on the A1 and

southwards. A3 Southbound connects to the political capital Yamoussoukro and the economic capital

. A8 westbound goes to Beoumi and

continuing to

Man A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromo ...

and Danané with further destinations in

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast� ...

and

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

Education

The

Université Alassane Ouattara The Université Alassane Ouattara is a public university in Côte d'Ivoire. It was known as Université de Bouaké prior to a name change in August 2012. The school was founded in 1992. It was temporarily relocated to Abidjan in 2002, but reopened ...

was founded in 1992.

Places of worship

The most common

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

are

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

mosques. There are also

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

churches and temples : Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bouaké (

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

), United Methodist Church Ivory Coast (

World Methodist Council The World Methodist Council (WMC), founded in 1881, is a consultative body and association of churches in the Methodist tradition. It comprises 80 member denominations in 138 countries which together represent an estimated 80 million people; this ...

Union of Missionary Baptist Churches in Ivory Coast The Union of Missionary Baptist Churches in Ivory Coast (french: Union des Églises Baptistes Missionnaires en Côte d'Ivoire) is a Baptist Christian denomination, affiliated with the Fédération Évangélique de Côte d’Ivoire and the Baptis ...

(

Baptist World Alliance The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is the largest international Baptist organization with an estimated 51 million people in 2022 with 246 member bodies in 128 countries and territories. A voluntary association of Baptist churches, the BWA account ...

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

Administration

Subdivisions

The city itself is a sub-prefectures of

; the surrounding suburbs that are outside of the city limits are also organised into a sub-prefecture known as "Bouaké-SP". Bouaké is also a commune. 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

Sport

The local stadium of Bouaké is the Stade Bouaké also known as the Stadium of Peace, it was constructed in 1984 for the

1984 Africa Cup of Nations The 1984 African Cup of Nations was the 14th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was hosted by Ivory Coast. Just like in 1982, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. Cameroon ...

, it will be one of the host stadiums for the

2023 Africa Cup of Nations The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (also referred to as AFCON 2023 or CAN 2023) is scheduled to be the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial international men's football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of Afric ...

and renovation on the stadium started in 2020 in preparation for the event. The stadium capacity before renovation was 35,000, this will increase to 40,000 for the event The local team is called Bouaké FC and plays in the Stade Bouaké People that have represented the Ivorian national football team that were born in Bouaké are the Brothers Kolo Touré and

Yaya Toure Yaya may refer to: Places * Yaya, Çan * Yaya, Congo, district of Niari Department in the Republic of Congo * Yaya, Russia, an urban-type settlement in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia *Yaya (river), a river in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia * Yaya Island, Rus ...

, Abdul Razak (footballer) and Lassina Diabaté

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Bouaké is twinned with: *

Mopti Mopti ( Bambara: ߡߏߕߌ tr. Moti) is a town and an urban commune in the Inner Niger Delta region of Mali. The town is the capital of the Mopti Cercle and the Mopti Region. Situated 630 km northeast of Bamako, the town lies at the confl ...

Brescia Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and '' comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

Villeneuve-sur-Lot Villeneuve-sur-Lot (; in the Languedocien dialect of Occitan language: ''Vilanuèva d'Òlt'' ) is a town and commune in the southwestern French department of Lot-et-Garonne. The commune was formerly named ''Villeneuve-d'Agen''. Villeneuve-sur-Lo ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Reutlingen Reutlingen (; Swabian: ''Reitlenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of June 2018, it has a population of 115,818. Reutlingen has a university of applied sciences, which ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

* Zimnicea,

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

Villages

The 130 villages of the sub-prefecture of Bouaké-SP and their population in 2014 are:

References

External links

Bouaké Travel Guide
from World66 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bouake Sub-prefectures of Gbêkê District capitals of Ivory Coast Communes of Gbêkê Regional capitals of Ivory Coast Ivory Coast geography articles needing translation from French Wikipedia