Sassandra Department

{{Infobox settlement   | name = Sassandra Department | native_name = ''Département de Sassandra'' | native_name_lang = fr | other_name = | settlement_type = [[Departments of Ivory Coast|Department]]  | image_skyline = | image_caption = | image_flag = | image_seal = | image_shield = | nickname = | motto = | image_map = File:Sassandra Department location in Gbôklè Region (Côte d'Ivoire).svg | map_caption = Location in Ivory Coast. Sassandra Department has had these boundaries since 2008. | pushpin_map =  | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_mapsize = 300 | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ivory Coast  | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{flag|Ivory Coast}} |subdivision_type1 = [[Districts of Ivory Coast|District]] |subdivision_name1 = [[Bas-Sassandra District|Bas-Sassandra]] |subdivision_type2 = [[Regions of Ivory Coast|Region]] |subdivision_name2 = [[Gbôklé]] |subdivision_type3 = |subdivision_name3 = |seat_type = Departmental seat |seat = [[Sassandra]] | established_date = Established as a first-level subdivision | established_title = 1969 | established_date1 = Divided to create [[Soubré Department|Soubré Dept]] | established_title1 = 1980 | established_date2 = Divided to create [[San-Pédro Department|San-Pédro]] and [[Tabou Department|Tabou Depts]] | established_title2 = 1988 | established_date3 = Converted to a second-level subdivision | established_title3 = 1997 | established_date4 = Divided to create [[Guéyo Department|Guéyo Dept]] | established_title4 = 2008 | established_date5 = Converted to a third-level subdivision | established_title5 = 2011 | government_type =  | government_footnotes = <ref>[http://news.abidjan.net/h/442135.html "Préfets de Région et de Préfets de Département (Conseil des ministres du mercredi 26 septembre 2012)"], abidjan.net, 2 October 2012.</ref> | leader_title = Prefect | leader_name = Ernest Boni Koffi  | unit_pref = Metric  | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 4340 | area_land_km2 =  | elevation_footnotes =  | elevation_m =  | population_footnotes = <ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/ivorycoast/admin/ Citypopulation.de] Population of the regions and departments of Ivory Coast</ref> | population_total = 353228 | population_as_of = 2021 census | population_density_km2 = auto | population_note =  | timezone = [[GMT]] | utc_offset = +0 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST =  | postal_code_type =  | postal_code = | area_code = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Sassandra Department''' is a [[Departments of Ivory Coast|department]] of [[Gbôklé Region]] in [[Bas-Sassandra District]], [[Ivory Coast]]. In 2021, its population was 353,228 and its seat is the settlement of [[Sassandra]]. The [[sub-prefectures of Ivory Coast|sub-prefectures]] of the department are [[Dakpadou]], [[Grihiri]], [[Lobakuya]], [[Médon]], [[Sago, Ivory Coast|Sago]], and [[Sassandra]].

==History==

Sassandra 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 by taking territory from both [[Centre-Ouest Department]] and [[Sud Department (Ivory Coast)|Sud Department]]. Using current boundaries as a reference, from 1969 to 1980 the department occupied the same territory as [[Bas-Sassandra District]], with the exception of [[Fresco Department]] (ie, all of [[Nawa Region|Nawa]], [[San-Pédro Region|San-Pédro]], and [[Gbôklé Region]]s save Fresco Department).

In 1980, Sassandra Department was divided to create [[Soubré Department]].<ref name = statoids>[http://www.statoids.com/yci.html "Regions of Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)"], statoids.com, accessed 16 February 2016.</ref> What remained was divided into three parts in 1988 in order to create [[San-Pédro Department|San-Pédro]] and [[Tabou Department]]s.<ref name = statoids/>

In 1997, [[regions of Ivory Coast|regions]] were introduced as new first-level subdivisions of Ivory Coast; as a result, all departments were converted into second-level subdivisions. Sassandra Department was included in [[Bas-Sassandra Region]].

Sassandra Department was divided a third time in 2008 when [[Guéyo Department]] was created from it.<ref name = statoids/><ref>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.</ref>

In 2011, [[Districts of Ivory Coast|districts]] 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, Sassandra Department became part of [[Gbôklé Region]] in [[Bas-Sassandra District]].

===Maps of historical boundaries=== <gallery mode="packed" heights="140px"> File:Sassandra Department locator map Côte d'Ivoire (1969-74).jpg|Sassandra Department upon its creation in 1969. It kept these boundaries until 1980, but other departments began to be divided in 1974. File:Sassandra Department locator map Côte d'Ivoire (1980-88).jpg|Sassandra Department from 1980 to 1988. File:Sassandra Department locator map Côte d'Ivoire (1988-95).jpg|Sassandra Department from 1988 to 2008. (Other departments began to be divided in 1995.) </gallery>

In 2014, the population of [[Sassandra|the sub-prefecture of Sassandra]] was 72,221.<ref name=Gbôklé>{{cite web|title=RGPH 2014, Répertoire des localités, Région Gbôklé|url=http://www.ins.ci/n/documents/rgph/GBOKLE.pdf|website=ins.ci|accessdate=5 August 2019}}</ref>

==Villages== The villages of the sub-prefecture of Sassandra and their population in 2014 are:<ref name=Gbôklé/> {{Columns-list|colwidth=22em| # Arokpa (363) # Bassa (492) # Batélébré 1 (94) # Brodjé (431) # Cocoplage (296) # Dabéda (169) # [[Gaoulou]] (12 184) # Gapé (318) # Grand-Dréwin (747) # Kadrokpa (1 683) # Lébléko (151) # Lékidou (63) # Misséhi (292) # Niani (839) # Niézéko (222) # [[Sassandra]] (26 608) # Siampaho (855) # Vodiéko (286) # Akakro (863) # Dagbégo 1 (1 025) # Dagbégo 2 (2 042) # Gloplou (496) # Godé (180) # Goviadou (39) # Guédio-Guédio (720) # Kadrokpa 2 (2 911) # Latéko (233) # Lipoyo (1 079) # Lohiri-Néyau (326) # Lossan Kouamékro (2 313) # Louga (889) # Niabably (3 323) # Niabayo (89) # Niéga (328) # Pauly-Brousse (6 530) # Pauly-Chantier (623) # Pauly-Plage (162) # Sialloukro (2 957) }}

==Notes== {{reflist}}

[[Category:Departments of Gbôklé]] [[Category:1969 establishments in Ivory Coast]] [[Category:States and territories established in 1969]]