Lacs Region, Administrative region in Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast
The Lacs Region is an administrative region in central Ivory Coast, named after the many lakes that dot the land. Yamoussoukro, the country's political capital, falls within this region and serves as its main urban center.
The region was established in 1997 as part of a nationwide administrative reform that redrew Ivory Coast's internal boundaries. Yamoussoukro had been designated as the country's official capital back in 1983, well before the region's borders were drawn.
Multiple ethnic communities shape daily life here through their traditional farming techniques and craftsmanship that remain central to village life. These practices give the region its distinctive character and rhythm.
Yamoussoukro is the best starting point for visiting the region, as most roads and connections pass through it. Outside the city, tracks leading to the lakes and villages are often unpaved, so a vehicle suited to rough roads is helpful.
Although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital of the country since 1983, Abidjan has remained the economic and administrative center in practice, leaving many government buildings in Yamoussoukro largely empty. This makes the city a rare example of a capital that most people in the country rarely interact with as a seat of power.
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