View source for Regions of Ivory Coast

{{short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Politics of Ivory Coast}}
[[File:Regions and Autonomous Districts of Côte d'Ivoire.svg|thumb|left|The 31 current regions. Green lines indicate borders of regions. Orange lines indicate borders of autonomous districts that are not divided into regions.]]
The '''regions of Ivory Coast''' ({{langx|fr|régions de la Côte d'Ivoire}}) are the second-level [[subdivisions of Ivory Coast]]. There are 31 regions, and each region is subdivided into two or more [[departments of Ivory Coast|departments]], the third-level division in Ivory Coast. Two to four regions are combined to make up an [[districts of Ivory Coast|autonomous district]], the first-level subdivision. The autonomous districts of Abidjan and Yamoussoukro are not divided into regions.

==History==
The first 10 regions were established in 1990.<ref name=Sato>Sato (2003).</ref> At the time, they supplanted the departments as the first-level administrative subdivisions of the country, with the departments being converted into second-level subdivisions. 
Two new regions were added in 1996.<ref name=Sato/>
Four new regions were added in 1997, and all the existing regions changed their names, bringing the total to 16.<ref name=Sato/>
In 2000, four of the regions were divided to create three more regions, bringing the total to 19.<ref name=Sato/>

Prior to the 2011 reorganisation of the subdivisions of Ivory Coast, the 19 regions were the first-level subdivision of the country. In the reorganisation, districts were created and replaced regions as the first-level subdivisions and the 19 regions were reorganized into 30.<ref name = abidjannet>[http://news.abidjan.net/h/412022.html "Décentralisation : Le gouvernement créé 12 districts et 30 régions"], abidjan.net, 29 September 2011.</ref><ref name = decret>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160302200300/http://www.pndap-ci.org/pdf/decret_districts.pdf Décret n°2011-263 du 28 septembre 2011 portant organisation du territoire national en Districts et en Régions]}}.</ref> In 2012, one region was divided to create a 31st region.<ref>[http://news.abidjan.net/h/436675.html "Conseil des Ministres du mercredi 04 Juillet 2012 : De nouvelles entités administratives créées"], abidjan.net, 5 July 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.depse.ci/telecharger-fichier-joint/15 Décret n° 2012-612 du 04 juillet 2012 portant création de la Région du Moronou].</ref>

In 2014, the districts were abolished except for the two autonomous districts of Abidjan and Yamoussoukro. Then in 2021 the former districts were reinstated as autonomous districts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gouv.ci/_actualite-article.php?recordID=12312&d=1|title="DECENTRALISATION: 12 NOUVEAUX DISTRICTS AUTONOMES CREES|website=gouv.ci|date=18 June 2021|access-date=25 January 2023}}</ref>

===Maps of regions through the time===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Map
! Years effective
! First-level subdivisions
! Second-level subdivisions
! Third-level subdivisions
! Changes
|-
|[[File:Map of Côte d'Ivoire Regions_(1991-1996).svg|200px]]
|1991&ndash;1996
|'''10 regions'''
|50 departments
|—
|Creation of regions
|-
|[[File:Map of Côte d'Ivoire Regions (1996-1997).svg|200px]]
|1996&ndash;1997
|'''12 regions'''
|55 departments
|—
|Two regions added.
|-
|[[File:Map of Côte d'Ivoire Regions (1997-2000).svg|200px]]
|1997&ndash;2000
|'''16 regions'''
|59 departments
|—
|Three regions added, all renamed.
|-
|[[File:Map of Côte d'Ivoire Regions (2000-2011).svg|200px]]
|2000&ndash;2011
|'''19 regions'''
|59, then 70, 72, 89, 94, 95 departments
|—
|Three regions added.
|-
|[[File:Map of Côte d'Ivoire Regions (2011-2012).svg|200px]]
|2011&ndash;2012
|12 districts and 2 autonomous districts
|'''30 regions'''
|95 departments
|Districts established. New organization of regions. 
|-
|[[File:Map of Côte d'Ivoire Regions (2012-2014).svg|200px]]
|2012&ndash;2014
|12 districts and 2 autonomous districts 
|'''31 regions'''
|107, then 108 departments
|One region added (Moronou).
|-
|[[File:Map of Côte d'Ivoire Regions.svg|200px]]
|2014&ndash;2021
|'''31 regions''' and 2 autonomous districts
|108, then 111 departments
|—
|Districts abolished.
|-
|[[File:Map of Côte d'Ivoire Regions (2012-2014).svg|200px]]
|2021&ndash;
|14 autonomous districts 
|'''31 regions'''
|111 departments
|12 autonomous districts added, based on former districts
|}

==Governance and purpose==
The executive of each region is headed by a prefect, who is appointed by the council of ministers (cabinet) of the national government.<ref name = loi2014-451/> For departments that house regional capitals, the prefect of the department is the same individual as the prefect of the region, though the two offices of prefect remain distinct.<ref name = ordonnance262>[http://www.dgddl.interieur.gouv.ci/documentation/20130612092155TEXTELIGISLATIFETREGLEMENTAIRE.pdf Ordonnance n° 2011-262 du 28 septembre 2011 portant orientation de l'organisation générale de l'administration territoriale de l'Etat].</ref> The legislative body of the region is the Regional Council, which is elected and headed by a President.

The government of each region is responsible for designing and implementing programmes to improve the economic, social, and cultural life of the region.<ref name = loi2014-451>[http://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/ivc146379.pdf Loi n° 2014-451 du 5 août 2014 portant orientation de l'organisation générale de l'Administration Territoriale].</ref> Regions are also responsible for coordinating and harmonising the activities of their departmental governments and for implementing public interest projects established by the district or the national government.<ref name = loi2014-451/>

==Regions==
There are currently 31 regions of Ivory Coast. Two areas of the country, the autonomous districts of [[Abidjan]] and [[Yamoussoukro]], are not divided into regions. The regions are as follows, with the date of creation in parentheses:
[[File:Regions of Côte d'Ivoire numbered (new 2011 regions).png|300px|left]]
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
#[[Agnéby-Tiassa]] (2011)
#[[Bafing Region|Bafing]] (2000)
#[[Bagoué]] (2011)
#[[Bélier Region]] (2011)
#[[Béré Region|Béré]] (2011)
#[[Bounkani]] (2011)
#[[Cavally Region|Cavally]] (2011)
#[[Folon Region|Folon]] (2011)
#[[Gbêkê]] (2011)
#[[Gbôklé]] (2011)
#[[Gôh]] (2011)
#[[Gontougo]] (2011)
#[[Grands-Ponts]] (2011)
#[[Guémon]] (2011)
#[[Hambol]] (2011)
#[[Haut-Sassandra]] (1997)
#[[Iffou]] (2011)
#[[Indénié-Djuablin]] (2011)
#[[Kabadougou]] (2011)
#[[La Mé]] (2011)
#[[Lôh-Djiboua]] (2011)
#[[Marahoué]] (1997)
#[[Moronou Region|Moronou]] (2012)
#[[Nawa Region|Nawa]] (2011)
#[[N'Zi Region|N'Zi]] (2011)
#[[Poro Region|Poro]] (2011)
#[[San-Pédro Region|San-Pédro]] (2011)
#[[Sud-Comoé]] (1997)
#[[Tchologo]] (2011)
#[[Tonkpi]] (2011)
#[[Worodougou]] (1997)
:A. [[Abidjan Autonomous District]] (2011) (not a region or divided into regions)
:B. [[Yamoussoukro Autonomous District]]  (2011) (not a region or divided into regions)
}}

The 14 autonomous districts (of which two are not subdivided into regions) and the 31 regions are listed below, with their regional seats and populations at the 2014 census.<ref>{{statoids|id=uci|title=Districts of Côte d'Ivoire}} Institut National de la Statistique, Côte d'Ivoire.</ref>

{| class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col" width=140|District
!scope="col" width=140|District capital
!scope="col" width=140|Regions
!scope="col" width=140|Region seat
!scope="col" width=140|Population
|-
!scope=row colspan=4|'''[[Abidjan]]''' <br />(''District Autonome d'Abidjan'')
|align="right"|4,707,404
|-
!scope=row rowspan=3|'''[[Bas-Sassandra District|Bas-Sassandra]]''' <br />(''District du Bas-Sassandra'')
|align=left rowspan=3|[[San-Pédro, Ivory Coast|San-Pédro]]
|[[Gbôklé]]
|[[Sassandra]]
|align="right"|400,798
|-
|[[Nawa Region|Nawa]]
|[[Soubré]]
|align="right"|1,053,084
|-
|[[San-Pédro Region|San-Pédro]]
|[[San-Pédro, Ivory Coast|San-Pédro]]
|align="right"|826,666
|-
!scope=row rowspan=2|'''[[Comoé District|Comoé]]''' <br />(''District du Comoé'')
|align=left rowspan=2|[[Abengourou]]
|[[Indénié-Djuablin]]
|[[Abengourou]]
|align="right"|560,432
|-
|[[Sud-Comoé]]
|[[Aboisso]]
|align="right"|642,620
|-
!scope=row rowspan=2|'''[[Denguélé District|Denguélé]]''' <br />(''District du Denguélé'')
|align=left rowspan=2|[[Odienné]]
|[[Folon Region|Folon]]
|[[Minignan]]
|align="right"|96,415
|-
|[[Kabadougou]]
|[[Odienné]]
|align="right"|193,364
|-
!scope=row rowspan=2|'''[[Gôh-Djiboua District|Gôh-Djiboua]]''' <br />(''District du Gôh-Djiboua'')
|align=left rowspan=2|[[Gagnoa]]
|[[Gôh]]
|[[Gagnoa]]
|align="right"|876,117
|-
|[[Lôh-Djiboua]]
|[[Divo, Ivory Coast|Divo]]
|align="right"|729,169
|-
!scope=row rowspan=4|'''[[Lacs District|Lacs]]''' <br />(''District des Lacs'')
|align=left rowspan=4|[[Dimbokro]]
|[[Bélier Region|Bélier]]
|[[Yamoussoukro]]<ref>While Yamoussoukro is the seat of Bélier region, the city itself is not part of the region.</ref>
|align="right"|346,768
|-
|[[Iffou]]
|[[Daoukro]]
|align="right"|311,642
|-
|[[Moronou Region|Moronou]]
|[[Bongouanou]]
|align="right"|352,616
|-
|[[N'Zi Region|N'Zi]]
|[[Dimbokro]]
|align="right"|247,578
|-
!scope=row rowspan=3|'''[[Lagunes District|Lagunes]]''' <br />(''District des Lagunes'')
|align=left rowspan=3|[[Dabou]]
|[[Agnéby-Tiassa]]
|[[Agboville]]
|align="right"|606,852
|-
|[[Grands-Ponts]]
|[[Dabou]]
|align="right"|356,495
|-
|[[La Mé]]
|[[Adzopé]]
|align="right"|514,700
|-
!scope=row rowspan=3|'''[[Montagnes District|Montagnes]]''' <br />(''District des Montagnes'')
|align=left rowspan=3|[[Man, Ivory Coast|Man]]
|[[Cavally Region|Cavally]]
|[[Guiglo]]
|align="right"|459,964
|-
|[[Guémon]]
|[[Duékoué]]
|align="right"|919,392
|-
|[[Tonkpi]]
|[[Man, Ivory Coast|Man]]
|align="right"|992,564
|-
!scope=row rowspan=2|'''[[Sassandra-Marahoué District|Sassandra-Marahoué]]''' <br />(''District du Sassandra-Marahoué'')
|align=left rowspan=2|[[Daloa]]
|[[Haut-Sassandra]]
|[[Daloa]]
|align="right"|1,430,960
|-
|[[Marahoué]]
|[[Bouaflé]]
|align="right"|862,344
|-
!scope=row rowspan=3|'''[[Savanes District|Savanes]]''' <br />(''District des Savanes'')
|align=left rowspan=3|[[Korhogo]]
|[[Bagoué]]
|[[Boundiali]]
|align="right"|375,687
|-
|[[Poro Region|Poro]]
|[[Korhogo]]
|align="right"|763,852
|-
|[[Tchologo]]
|[[Ferkessédougou]]
|align="right"|467,958
|-
!scope=row rowspan=2|'''[[Vallée du Bandama District|Vallée du Bandama]]''' <br />(''District de la Vallée du Bandama'')
|align=left rowspan=2|[[Bouaké]]
|[[Gbêkê]]
|[[Bouaké]]
|align="right"|1,010,849
|-
|[[Hambol]]
|[[Katiola, Ivory Coast|Katiola]]
|align="right"|429,977
|-
!scope=row rowspan=3|'''[[Woroba District|Woroba]]''' <br />(''District du Woroba'')
|align=left rowspan=3|[[Séguéla]]
|[[Béré Region|Béré]]
|[[Mankono]]
|align="right"|389,758
|-
|[[Bafing Region|Bafing]]
|[[Touba, Ivory Coast|Touba]]
|align="right"|183,047
|-
|[[Worodougou]]
|[[Séguéla]]
|align="right"|272,334
|-
!scope=row colspan=4|'''[[Yamoussoukro]]''' <br />(''District Autonome du Yamoussoukro'')
|align="right"|355,573
|-
!scope=row rowspan=2|'''[[Zanzan District|Zanzan]]''' <br />(''District du Zanzan'')
|align=left rowspan=2|[[Bondoukou]]
|[[Bounkani]]
|[[Bouna, Ivory Coast|Bouna]]
|align="right"|267,167
|-
|[[Gontougo]]
|[[Bondoukou]]
|align="right"|667,185
|-
|}

== Regions before 2011 ==
[[File:Regions of Côte d'Ivoire numbered 2000-11.jpg|300px|right]]
Before a reorganization in 2011, the regions were the first-level subdivisions of Ivory Coast. The 19 regions that existed immediately prior to the reorganisation were as follows, with their creation date in parentheses:<ref>{{statoids|id=yci|title=Regions of Côte d'Ivoire}}</ref>
{{Columns-list|colwidth=30em|
# [[Agnéby]] (1997)
# [[Bafing (Cote d'Ivoire)|Bafing]] (2000)
# [[Bas-Sassandra Region|Bas-Sassandra]] (1997)
# [[Denguélé Region|Denguélé]] (1997)
# [[Dix-Huit Montagnes]] (1997)
# [[Fromager]] (2000)
# [[Haut-Sassandra]] (1997)
# [[Lacs Region|Lacs]] (1997)
# [[Lagunes Region|Lagunes]] (1997)
# [[Marahoué]] (1997)
# [[Moyen-Cavally]] (2000)
# [[Moyen-Comoé]] (1997)
# [[N'Zi-Comoé]] (1997)
# [[Savanes Region (Ivory Coast)|Savanes]] (1997)
# [[Sud-Bandama]] (1997)
# [[Sud-Comoé]] (1997)
# [[Vallée du Bandama Region|Vallée du Bandama]] (1997)
# [[Worodougou]] (1997)
# [[Zanzan Region|Zanzan]] (1997)
}}

As is the case now, regions were further divided into [[Departments of Ivory Coast|departments]].

==See also==
* [[ISO 3166-2:CI]]

==Bibliography==
* SATO Akira (2003). "L'évolution historique de la subdivision territoriale administrative en Côte d'Ivoire" in ''L'administration locale en Côte d'Ivoire''. Africa Research Studies 10. 日本貿易振興機構（ジェトロ）アジア経済研究所 / Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization (IDE-JETRO). 2003. [https://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Reports/Ars/10.html On-line.]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Regions of Ivory Coast}}
{{Articles on second-level administrative divisions of African countries}}

[[Category:Regions of Ivory Coast| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:Lists of administrative divisions|Ivory Coast 1]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in Africa|Ivory Coast 1]]
[[Category:Second-level administrative divisions by country|Regions, Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:Ivory Coast geography-related lists|Regions]]
[[Category:1991 establishments in Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1991]]
[[Category:Regions of West Africa by country|Ivory Coast]]