YAMOUSSOUKRO

town and capital (de jure; administrative), south-central Cte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), located about 170 miles (274 km) northwest of the national capital, Abidjan. For more than three decades after Cte d'Ivoire achieved independence in 1960, Yamoussoukro served as the country's second capital because it was the birthplace, home, and unofficial headquarters of President Flix Houphout-Boigny, Cte d'Ivoire's head of state from 1960 to 1993. The town housed the assembly hall of the nation's only political party, the Democratic Party of Cte d'Ivoire (Parti Dmocratique de la Cte d'Ivoire). Yamoussoukro became a major urban centre largely because of Houphout-Boigny's influence, with a dense infrastructure of roads and public utilities. The fishing, forestry, and perfume industries play important roles in the town's economy. Sites of cultural importance in Yamoussoukro include the Yamoussoukro Basilica, which is modeled after St. Peter's in Rome, a large mosque, other churches, and secondary schools. Pop. (1995 est.) 110,000.