Bouaké Department is a

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

Gbêkê Region Gbêkê Region (also known as Wawlè Region) is one of the 31 regions of Ivory Coast. Since its establishment in 2011, it has been one of two regions in Vallée du Bandama District. The seat of the region is Bouaké and the region's population in ...

Vallée du Bandama District Vallée du Bandama District (french: District de la Vallée du Bandama) is one of fourteen administrative districts of Ivory Coast. The district is located in the north-central part of the country. The capital of the district is Bouaké. Creati ...

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

. In 2021, its population was 931,851 making it the second most populous department in the country behind

Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N'Ko script, N’ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the Demographics of Ivory Coast, 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, ...

. The seat of the department is the city of

Bouaké Bouaké (or Bwake, N’ko: ߓߐ߰ߞߍ߫ ''Bɔ̀ɔkɛ́'') is the second-largest city in Ivory Coast, with a population of 740,000 (2021 census). It is the seat of three levels of subdivision—Vallée du Bandama District, Gbêkê Region, and Bou ...

. The sub-prefectures of the department are Bouaké-SP, Bouaké-Ville,

Bounda Bounda is a town in central Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefecture of Bouaké Department in Gbêkê Region, Vallée du Bandama District. The town is about two kilometres north of the border of Lacs District. Bounda was a commune A commune is an ...

, Brobo,

Mamini Mamini is a town in central Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefectures of Ivory Coast, sub-prefecture of Bouaké Department in Gbêkê Region, Vallée du Bandama District. Mamini was a Communes of Ivory Coast, commune until March 2012, when it became o ...

, and N'Djébonouan.

History

Bouaké Department was created in 1969 as one of the 24 new departments that were created to take the place of the six departments that were being abolished. It was created from territory that was formerly part of Centre Department. Using current boundaries as a reference, from 1969 to 1988 the department occupied the following territory: all of

; all of

Bélier Region Bélier Region is one of the 31 regions of Ivory Coast. The region's population in the 2021 census was 415,593. The seat of the region is in Toumodi. Prior to 2017, the seat of the region was in Yamoussoukro, outside the region, and the prefect o ...

; all of

Yamoussoukro Autonomous District Yamoussoukro (; , locally ) is the ''de jure'' capital of Ivory Coast and an autonomous district. As of the 2014 census, Yamoussoukro is the fifth most populous city in Ivory Coast with a population of 212,670. Located north-west of Abidjan, ...

; and all of

Iffou Region Iffou Region is one of the 31 regions of Ivory Coast. Since its establishment in 2011, it has been one of the regions in Lacs District. The seat of the region is Daoukro, and the region's population in the 2021 census was 378,560. Iffou is curren ...

, with the exception of

Daoukro Department Daoukro Department is a department of Iffou Region in Lacs District, Ivory Coast. In 2021, its population was 148,095 and its seat is the settlement of Daoukro. The sub-prefectures of the department are Daoukro, Ettrokro, N'Gattakro, and Sa ...

. In 1988, Bouaké Department was split into six parts to create five new departments:

Béoumi Béoumi is a town in central Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefectures of Ivory Coast, sub-prefecture of and the seat of Béoumi Department in Gbêkê Region, Vallée du Bandama District. Béoumi is also a Communes of Ivory Coast, commune. In 2021, th ...

, M'Bahiakro,

Sakassou Sakassou is a town in central Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefectures of Ivory Coast, sub-prefecture of and the seat of Sakassou Department in Gbêkê Region, Vallée du Bandama District. Sakassou is also a Communes of Ivory Coast, commune. In 2021, ...

Toumodi Toumodi is a town in south-central Ivory Coast. It is a sub-prefecture of and the seat of Toumodi Department in Bélier Region, Lacs District. Toumodi is also a commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or co ...

, and

Yamoussoukro Yamoussoukro (; , locally ) is the ''de jure'' capital of Ivory Coast and an autonomous district. As of the 2014 census, Yamoussoukro is the fifth most populous city in Ivory Coast with a population of 212,670. Located north-west of Abidjan, th ...

."Regions of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)"
statoids.com, accessed 16 February 2016. In 1997,

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

were introduced as new first-level subdivisions of Ivory Coast; as a result, all departments were converted into second-level subdivisions. Bouaké Department was included as part of

Vallée du Bandama Region Vallée du Bandama Region is a defunct region of Ivory Coast. From 1997 to 2011, it was a first-level subdivision region. The region's capital was Bouaké and its area was 28,518 km². Since 2011, the area formerly encompassed by the region is co ...

. Bouaké Department was split again in 2008 to create Botro Department.Décret n° 2008-96 du 5 mars 2008 portant création des départements de Bettié, Botro, Guéyo, Koro, Kouto, Ouangolodougou, Sinématiali, Tiapoum, Yakassé-Attobrou et Zoukougbeu. In 2011,

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

were introduced as new first-level subdivisions of Ivory Coast. At the same time, regions were reorganised and became second-level subdivisions and all departments were converted into third-level subdivisions. At this time, Bouaké Department became part of

Notes

Departments of Gbêkê 1969 establishments in Ivory Coast States and territories established in 1969 {{ValléeduBandama-geo-stub