Abidjanis the economic and former official capital ofIvory Coast, while the current capital isYamoussoukro. As of 2011it was the largest city in the nation and the thirdlargestFrench-speakingcity in the world, after Paris andKinshasa, but before Montreal. It has, according to the authorities of the country in 2006, 5,068,858 residents in the metropolitan area and 3,796,677 residents in the municipality. OnlyLagos, the former capital ofNigeria, has a larger number of inhabitants in this region. Considered a cultural hub ofWest Africa, Abidjan is characterized by a high level of industrialization and urbanization. The city stands inÉbrié Lagoon, on several converging peninsulas and islands, connected by bridges.
The city grew after the construction of a newwharfin 1931 and its designation as the capital of the then French colony in 1933. The completion of theVridi Canalin 1951 enabled it to become an importantsea port. In 1983, Yamoussoukro was designated as the nation's capital, but most government offices and foreignembassiesare still in Abidjan.