An Introduction to Côte d’Ivoire |
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire is a country located in West Africa (anglicized as "Ivory Coast"). Formerly a French colony, Côte d'Ivoire gained its independence in 1960 when it adopted a constitution and became a presidential republic. Côte d'Ivoire has continued to hold close ties with Western Europe, particularly France, after its independence and maintained economic power in West Africa. Côte d'Ivoire is known for its lucrative large-scale production of cocoa and coffee.
Côte d'Ivoire is home to more than 60 ethnic groups and 82 individually recognized languages which are commonly divided into four ethnolinguistic categories: Gur, Mande, Kwa, and Kru. French is the official language of the country, while Dioula (of the Mande ethnolinguistic language family) is the most widely spoken native language. Côte d'Ivoire shares borders with Burkina Faso, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, and Ghana. Côte d'Ivoire shares the most language similarities with Burkina Faso, to the northeast. |
President: Alassane Outtara
Capital: Yamoussoukro Largest city: Abidijan Population : 24,184,810 (as of June 2017) Major languages: French (official), 82 indigenous languages Major religions: Islam, Christianity, and indigenous beliefs Currency: CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) Literacy rates:
National symbol: Elephant National flag: equal vertical stripes of orange, white, and green. Not to be confused with the Irish flag, which is the inverse.
(Source: CIA World Factbook) |