Abidjan

Abidjan is the largest city of Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa. It was the country’s capital until 1983. Then Yamoussoukro was made the capital. Even after that The coastal city of Abidjan is an important business centre of Côte d’Ivoire. date, however, Abidjan remained the site of most government functions.

Abidjan is located in the southern part of the country. It has a port even though it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a sandbar. The Vridi Canal connects the port to the sea.

Because of the port, Abidjan is a centre of West African trade. Cocoa, coffee, timber, bananas, pineapples, and fish are shipped from the port. The city also manufactures beer, soap, matches, and auto mobiles.

See Also:Netherlands

Abidjan became the capital of the French colony of Ivory Coast in 1934. Ivory Coast became the independent country of Côte d’Ivoire in 1960. Abidjan remained the capital.

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a small country in northwestern Europe. It is also known as Holland. The people of The Netherlands are called the Dutch. The country’s capital is Amsterdam. However, the government meets in the city of The Hague.

Geography

The Netherlands shares borders with Germany and Belgium. The North Sea lies to the west and north. The country includes the Caribbean islands of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. The Netherlands is low-lying and mostly flat. Rivers and canals connect many of the cities. The climate is cool and rainy.

Much of the land near the coast used to be underwater. Beginning in the Middle Ages the Dutch drained the land using windmills and, later, pumps. They built barriers such as dikes and dams to keep the water out. The lands taken from the sea are called polders.