Abidjan is the former political capital and primary economic center of the country of Ivory Coast. As of 2011 it is the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris and Kinshasa. Only Lagos, the former capital of Nigeria, has a larger number of inhabitants in the West African region. Considered a cultural hub of West Africa, Abidjan is characterized by a high level of industrialization and urbanization. The city stands in Ébrié Lagoon on several converging peninsulas and islands connected by bridges.
