The Ivory Coast, a former French colony, has a varied climate ranging from extreme aridity to pouring rain. Its political system unfortunately is not entirely reliable. Since 1983, the capital of the Ivory Coast has been Yamoussoukro, a city with about 110,000 inhabitants. Apart from its genuinely African name, this city, which is situated away from the coast, has little to offer. All the government agencies, ministries, embassies and large companies have remained in the former capital, Abidjan.