Yamoussoukro, city in south central Côte d'Ivoire, the official capital of the country, in Yamoussoukro Department. Yamoussoukro's economy depends on inland fisheries, forest industries, and perfumeries. On the main highway from the coastal city of Abidjan, Yamoussoukro is also the site of a regional airport. The city has served as the capital of Côte d'Ivoire since 1983, although most administrative functions continue to be performed in the former capital, Abidjan. Yamoussoukro was the birthplace and longtime residence of former President Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d'Ivoire's only head of state from independence in 1960 until his death in 1993.
The city's most notable point of cultural interest is Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro Basilica, the largest Christian church in the world (constructed 1986-1989). Modeled after Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, its dome is 149 m (489 ft) in height. The cathedral, its $150 million expense reportedly financed solely by Houphouët-Boigny, was a gift from the president to the Vatican. Pope John Paul II dedicated the church in 1990. Yamoussoukro also contains a large mosque and the National Institute of Higher Technical Training (founded in 1975).
