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We're sharing five incredible facts about Ivory Coast today in honor of DJ Arafat, one of Africa and Ivory Coast's most prominent artists, who passed away yesterday after a traffic accident. You'll be amazed by the things you'll discover about this resilient West African country. 1. Yamoussoukro Ivory Coast's political capital, is home to the largest basilica/church building in the world. The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro is the largest church in the world, with an area of 30,000 square meters and capacity of 18,000. Its construction cost between US$175-600 million. 2. Ivory Coast is the world's leading producer of cocoa, supplying 30% of the world's total cocoa output. In 2017, Ivory Coast produced 1.8 million tons of cocoa, while neighboring Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Togo (other top producers) produced 1.55 million tons. 3. Ivory Coast boasts of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Such sites are considered to be of "Ou

Ivory Coast has lost one of its most popular icons, DJ Arafat. The well-known singer, referred to as the "king" of coup é-décalé  dance music was admitted to hospital in Ivorian capital city, Abidjan, with a fractured skull after his motorcycle hit a car on Sunday, as per Jeune Afrique. The 33-year-old reportedly died yesterday, Monday, at 8:00 am. Ivorian state broadcaster RTI tweeted on Monday,  "Death of artist DJ Arafat ... today at 8am as a result of a road accident overnight."   "We are all in shock," Ickx Fontaine, an Ivorian producer and specialist in hip-hop told the AFP news agency. "He was a real singer and a drummer ... he gave a new breath of life to coupe-decale." "He had a natural charisma," said Ozone, a hip hop producer and television host. "He will remain a force for Ivorian and African music." Around 1,000 fans gathered yesterday afternoon in front of the hospital in Abidjan's Cocody suburb