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Under Houphouët-Boigny's ideologically moderate leadership, Côte d'Ivoire prospered economically because of a combination of sound planning and the country's significant cocoa industry. Despite economic success, however, his government presided over a de facto one-party state for most of his reign. Houphouët-Boigny moved the country's capital to his hometown of Yamoussoukro and built the world's largest church there, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro.
Houphouët-Boigny won the country's first multiparty presidential elections in October 1990 with 89% of the vote. Upon his death, National Assembly president Henri Konan Bédié took power.
See also: List of Presidents of Côte d'Ivoire, Civil war in Côte d'IvoireThe Civil war in Cote d'Ivoire began on September 19, 2002, and restarted in November 2004. Forces These include: official government forces, the National Army (FANCI), also called loyalists formed and equipped essentially since 2003 the Young Patriots vi