Departments of Ivory Coast. Colours indicate regions and autonomous districts

Departments of Ivory Coast (French: départements de Côte d'Ivoire) are currently the third-level administrative subdivision of the country. Each of the 31 second-level regions of Ivory Coast is divided into two or more departments. (The autonomous districts are containing departments, but have a specific status.) Each department is divided into two or more sub-prefectures. Since 2020, there are 109 departments of Ivory Coast.

Departments were first created in 1959.[1][2] During their existence, they have been first-, second-, and third-level administrative subdivisions.

Current departments

There are currently 109 departments of Ivory Coast. The departments are as follows:

  1. Abengourou
  2. Abidjan
  3. Aboisso
  4. Adzopé
  5. Agboville
  6. Agnibilékrou
  7. Bangolo
  8. Béoumi
  9. Biankouma
  10. Bondoukou
  11. Bongouanou
  12. Bouaflé
  13. Bouaké
  14. Bouna
  15. Boundiali
  16. Dabakala
  17. Daloa
  18. Danané
  19. Daoukro
  20. Dimbokro
  21. Divo
  22. Duékoué
  23. Ferkessédougou
  24. Gagnoa
  25. Grand-Lahou
  26. Guiglo
  27. Issia
  28. Katiola
  29. Korhogo
  30. Lakota
  31. Man
  32. Mankono
  33. M’Bahiakro
  34. Odienné
  35. Oumé
  36. Sakassou
  37. San-Pedro
  38. Sassandra
  39. Séguéla
  40. Sinfra
  41. Soubré
  42. Tabou
  43. Transua
  44. Tengréla
  45. Tiassalé
  46. Touba
  47. Toumodi
  48. Vavoua
  49. Yamoussoukro
  50. Zuénoula
  51. Adiaké
  52. Alépé
  53. Bocanda
  54. Dabou
  55. Grand-Bassam
  56. Jacqueville
  57. Tiébissou
  58. Toulépleu
  59. Bloléquin
  60. Akoupé
  61. Didiévi
  62. Kouibly
  63. Nassian
  64. Prikro
  65. Sikensi
  66. Zouan-Hounien
  67. Madinani
  68. Minignan
  69. Kounahiri
  70. Koun-Fao
  71. Arrah
  72. Attiégouakro
  73. Bettié
  74. Botro
  75. Dikodougou
  76. Doropo
  77. Fresco
  78. Guéyo
  79. Guitry
  80. Kani
  81. Kaniasso
  82. Koro
  83. Kouto
  84. M’Batto
  85. Niakaramadougou
  86. Ouangolodougou
  87. Ouaninou
  88. Samatiguila
  89. Sandégué
  90. Sinématiali
  91. Téhini
  92. Tiapoum
  93. Tanda
  94. Yakassé-Attobrou
  95. Zoukougbeu
  96. Buyo
  97. Dianra
  98. Djékanou
  99. Facobly
  100. Gbéléban
  101. Kong
  102. Kouassi-Kouassikro
  103. M’Bengué
  104. Méagui
  105. Séguélon
  106. Sipilou
  107. Taabo
  108. Taï
  109. Ouellé
  110. Bonon
  111. Gohitafla

History

1961–69

Departments of Ivory Coast in 1961–63.
Departments of Ivory Coast in 1963–69.

Departments were established in 1961 and were the original first-level administrative subdivision of independent Ivory Coast.[3] Initially, there were just four departments: Centre, Nord, Sud-Est, and Sud-Ouest. In 1963, two more departments were created: Est was created by dividing Sud-Est, and Centre-Ouest) was created by dividing Sud-Ouest. As a result of the divisions, Sud-Est was renamed Sud and Sud-Ouest was renamed Ouest.

1969: 24 new departments

In 1969, the six departments were abolished and in their place 24 new departments were created. The following table illustrates how the old departments were divided into the new departments:

The 24 new departments that were created in 1969 (in background the 6 former departments). These boundaries were consistent until departments began to be divided in 1974.
Old department New departments (number corresponds to position on map)
Centre Bouaflé (8), Bouaké (9), Dimbokro (13), Katiola (18)
Centre-Ouest Daloa (11), Gagnoa (16), Sassandra[4] (22)
Est Abengourou (1), Bondoukou (7)
Nord Boundiali (10), Ferkessédougou (15), Korhogo (19), Odienné (21), Séguéla (23), Touba (24)
Ouest Biankouma (6), Danané (12), Guiglo (17), Man (20)
Sud Abidjan (2), Aboisso (3), Adzopé (4), Agboville (5), Divo (14), Sassandra[4] (22)

Due to a lack of government resources, the 1969 changes were not fully implemented until 1974.

Subsequent divisions and relegation to second-level

From 1974 onward, new departments were occasionally created through division of pre-existing departments. New departments were created in 1974 (2), 1980 (8), 1988 (15), and 1995 (1). In 1997, when there were 50 departments, regions were created, which supplanted departments as the first-level administrative subdivision. As a result, the 50 departments became second-level divisions.

More departments were created in 1998 (8), 2005 (12), 2008 (11), and 2009 (9). By the time of the late-2011 reorganisation of the subdivisions of Ivory Coast, there were 90 departments in 19 regions.

2011 subdivision reorganisation

In the 2011 reorganisation of the subdivisions of Ivory Coast, five new departments were created, bringing the total to 95. More significantly, however, districts were created as a new first-level division. As a result, regions became second-level subdivisions and the 95 departments became third-level subdivisions.

Post-2011 changes

Since the 2011 reorganisation, 14 more departments have been created, bringing the total number to 109. Twelve departments were created in 2012, one in 2013, and one was created in 2020.

Names and governance

Departments are named after the city or town that serves as the seat of the department. In most cases, this is the most populous settlement in the department.

Each department is headed by a prefect, who is appointed by the council of ministers (cabinet) of the national government.[5] 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.[6]

Each department is divided into two or more sub-prefectures, which serve as fourth-level administrative subdivisions. There are currently 510 sub-prefectures in the country.

Current departments by district and region

Below are the departments divided by district and region with the establishment year of the departments in parentheses.

Abidjan Autonomous District

Bas-Sassandra District

Gbôklé Region

Nawa Region

San-Pédro Region

Comoé District

Indénié-Djuablin Region

Sud-Comoé Region

Denguélé District

Folon Region

Kabadougou Region

Gôh-Djiboua District

Gôh Region

Lôh-Djiboua Region

Lacs District

Bélier Region

Iffou Region

Moronou Region

N'Zi Region

Lagunes District

Agnéby-Tiassa Region

Grands-Ponts Region

La Mé Region

Montagnes District

Cavally Region

Guémon Region

Tonkpi Region

Sassandra-Marahoué District

Haut-Sassandra Region

Marahoué Region

Savanes District

Bagoué Region

Poro Region

Tchologo Region

Vallée du Bandama District

Gbêkê Region

Hambol Region

Woroba District

Bafing Region

Béré Region

Worodougou Region

Yamoussoukro Autonomous District

Zanzan District

Bounkani Region

Gontougo Region

Defunct departments

There are six departments of Ivory Coast that have been eliminated.

Maps of departments through time

Map Years effective First-level subdivisions Second-level subdivisions Third-level subdivisions Changes
1961–1963 4 departments — — Four departments created as first-level subdivisions.
1963 (February) 5 departments — — One department added (Sud-Ouest and Sud-Est split into Ouest, Sud, and Est).
1963–1969 6 departments — — One department added (Ouest split into Ouest and Centre-Ouest).
1969–1974 24 departments — — All previous departments abolished. 24 new departments established as first-level subdivisions.
1974–1975 25 departments — — One department added (Bouna).
1975–1979 26 departments — — One department added (Dabakala).
1980–1987 34 departments — — 8 departments added.
1988–1991 49 departments — — 15 departments added.
1991–1995 10 regions 49 departments — Regions established.
1995–1996 10 regions 50 departments — One department added (Agnibilékrou).
1996–1997 12 regions 55 departments — 2 regions and 5 departments added.
1997–2000 16 regions 59 departments — 2 regions and 4 departments added.
1997–2000 19 regions 59 departments — 3 regions added.
2005–2006 19 regions 70 departments — 11 departments added.
2006–2008 19 regions 72 departments — 2 departments added.
2008–2009 19 regions 89 departments — 17 departments added.
2009–2010 19 regions 94 departments — 5 departments added.
2010–2011 19 regions 95 departments — 1 department added.
2011–2012 12 districts 30 regions 95 departments Districts created as new 1st level division. New division of regions.
2012–2013 12 districts 31 regions 107 departments 1 region and 12 departments added.
2013–2014 12 districts 31 regions 108 departments 1 department added.
2014–2020 31 regions and 2 autonomous districts 108 departments — Districts removed.
2020– 31 regions and 2 autonomous districts 109 departments — One department added.

Notes

  1. ↑ Sato (2003).
  2. ↑ Tice (1974).
  3. ↑ At independence in 1960, Ivory Coast was informally divided into 19 traditional cercles, but the cercles were not official administrative subdivisions.
  4. 1 2 Sassandra Department was created from territory taken partly from Centre-Ouest Department and partly from Sud Department.
  5. ↑ Loi n° 2014-451 du 05 août 2014 portant orientation de l'organisation générale de l'Administration Territoriale.
  6. ↑ Ordonnance n° 2011-262 du 28 septembre 2011 portant orientation de l'organisation générale de l'administration territoriale de l'Etat.
  7. ↑ The boundaries of Abidjan Department and Abidjan Autonomous District are the same.

References

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