San Pédro, Ivory Coast

San Pédro is a city ( population 131,800 in 1998 ) in the southwest of the Ivory Coast and is located on the Gulf of Guinea located about 80 kilometers from Sassandra. It has the second largest port in the country and is the capital of the region of Bas -Sassandra and the Département de San Pédro. West of the town is the Taï National Park, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

History

San Pédro da Costa discovered by the Portuguese explorer Soeriré about 500 years ago. Until the expansion of the city mid-1960s San Pédro was a small fishing village with only 100 inhabitants.

The city was conquered during the government crisis 2010/2011 on March 30 and 31, 2011 by units of the Forces Républicaines de Côte d' Ivoire ( FRCI ). Then the world market price for cocoa fell abruptly by 10 percent.

On 20 April 2011 were reported from downtown San Pédro fights. Here is a FRCI unit have tried to stop another from looting. As heavy weapons were used, the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire ( UNOCI ) intervened and finally ended the fighting.

Population

Religion

San Pédro is the seat of the Diocese of San Pedro -en- Côte d' Ivoire.

Boroughs

There are several geographically and socially distinct neighborhoods. Business center is the district Litiro less than two kilometers north of the port with hotels, restaurants, and nightlife. Between lakes and San Pédro flow to an industrial area expands. Five kilometers on the road to Daloa is the simple neighborhood Le Village with craft shops, just to the west of it is the main market. In the vicinity of which covers a vast working class area of wooden barracks.

Significantly, in contrast, is on the coast road one kilometers west of the harbor, the French residential area with carefully prepared food along the beaches. The hills surrounding the city are forested.

Economy

After expanding in the 60s, fishing is an important industry. The fishing port was removed completely by Japanese investors in the 1970s. However, the wood production and processing is still the largest employer. But agriculture with products such as cocoa, coffee beans, rubber, cotton and palm oil are more workstation donors. Since 1995, no raw logs can be exported more. This Act ( " cut wood from the Ivory Coast may be further processed within the country " ) wood processing was expanded in San Pédro. Other major investments are currently being made ​​in the development of cocoa plantations.

Port

The port is situated in a lagoon; to its protection from silting up of the river Hé ou ou yé San Pédro has been redirected. In the years 1968 to 1971, the port was built by a French- German consortium. The goal was then, exports of wood from the southwest to bring the water faster. In particular, precious woods such as mahogany are also now exported to more than 80 percent to Europe. In addition to the main exports fish and timber even cocoa (50 percent of the country's production ), coffee, cotton and other agricultural products to be exported. Imports mainly wheat and rice. In the near future the marina will be expanded when the planned railway line will be completed by Man. Then the minerals ( manganese, nickel, and others) are to be exported from one of the Port of San Pédro.

Airport

San Pédro has its own small international airport (DISP / SPY ).

Tourism

The city is known for its natural beautiful beaches where you throughout the year, thanks to the mild climate, equatorial, can be stopped. More and more hotels founded in San Pédro.

Sports

San Pédro has a football team ( Séwé de San Pedro), which plays in the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football (1st League ).