République de Côte d'Ivoire Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Unity, Discipline and Labour"  (translation)
Anthem: L'Abidjanaise
Capital		Yamoussoukro (de jure) Abidjan (de facto) 6°51′N 5°18′W / 6.85, -5.3
Largest city		Abidjan
Official languages		French
Demonym		Ivorian/Ivoirian
Government		Republic
-	President	Laurent Gbagbo[1]
-	Prime Minister	Guillaume Soro[1]
Independence		from France
-	Date	August 7, 1960
Area
-	Total	322,460 km² (68th) 124,502 sq mi
-	Water (%)	1. The Flag of Côte d'Ivoire features three equal vertical bands of orange ( hoist side white and green The Coat of Arms of Côte d'Ivoire in its current form was adopted in the year 2001. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's L'Abidjanaise ( Song of Abidjan) is the National anthem of Côte d'Ivoire. The District of Yamoussoukro is the official Capital city of Côte d'Ivoire. Abidjan is the largest city and former Capital of Côte d'Ivoire ( Ivory Coast) Demographic data Population 17654843 (Population growth rate2 Abidjan is the largest city and former Capital of Côte d'Ivoire ( Ivory Coast) An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its Latest election List Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office Laurent Koudou Gbagbo (born May 31 1945) has been the President of Côte d'Ivoire (better known in English as the Ivory Coast since 2000 The office of Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire was created in 1957. Guillaume Kigbafori Soro (born May 8, 1972 in Ferkessédougou, Côte d'Ivoire) has served as the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions we list here Surface areas between 100000 km² and 1000000 km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 4[2]
Population
-	2008 estimate	18,373,060[2]
-	1988 census	10,815,694[3]
-	Density	56/km² (141st) 145/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$32. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 86 billion[2]
-	Per capita	$1,800[2]
Gini (2002)		44. Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 6 (medium)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 432 (low) (166th)
Currency		West African CFA franc (XOF)
Time zone		GMT (UTC+0)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+0)
Internet TLD		.ci
Calling code		[[+225 [4]]]
a Estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower population than would otherwise be expected. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The West African CFA franc ( French: franc CFA or simply franc, ISO 4217 code XOF) is the currency of eight independent states spanning ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Greenwich Mean Time ( GMT) is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E

Côte d'Ivoire (pronounced /ˌkoʊt divˈwɑː(r)/ ' in English, IPA: [kot diˈvwaʀ] in French), or Ivory Coast, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire is a country in West Africa. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. The government officially discourages the use of the name Ivory Coast in English, preferring the French name Côte d'Ivoire to be used in all languages. ^[5] It borders Liberia and Guinea to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. Burkina Faso (bɚˌkiːnəˈfɑːsoʊ burr-KEE-na FAH-soh) also known by its short-form name Burkina, is a Landlocked nation in West Africa The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the The Gulf of Guinea is the part of the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Africa.

The country's early history is virtually unknown, although a Neolithic culture is thought to have existed. The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos In the 19th century it was invaded by two Akan groups. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Akan people are a linguistic group of West Africa. This group includes the Akuapem, the Akyem, the Ashanti, the Baoulé In 1843–1844, a treaty made it a protectorate of France and in 1893 Côte d'Ivoire became a French colony. Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year In International law, a protectorate is a autonomous territory that is "protected" by a stronger state or entity hense the protector which engages to protect This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The country became independent in 1960. Until 1993 it was led by Félix Houphouët-Boigny and was closely associated economically and politically with its West African neighbours, for example forming the Council of the Entente. The Conseil de l'Entente ("Council of Accord" or "Council of Understanding" is a West African regional co-operation forum established in May 1959 At the same time the country maintained close ties to the West, which helped its economic development and political stability. This article refers to the cardinal direction for other uses see West (disambiguation. Since the end of Houphouët-Boigny's rule, this stability has been destroyed by two coups (1999 and 2001) and a civil war since 2002, which has hampered its economic development. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Context of the conflict The civil war revolves around a number of issues particularly The end of the 30-year presidency of Félix Houphouët-Boigny forced ^[6]

Côte d'Ivoire is a republic with a strong executive power personified in the President. Latest election List Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office Its de jure capital is Yamoussoukro and the official language is French. The District of Yamoussoukro is the official Capital city of Côte d'Ivoire. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The country is divided into 19 regions and 58 departments. Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast is divided into nineteen Regions ( régions) |||}The regions of Côte d'Ivoire are divided into 58 departments ( french: Départements ' Côte d'Ivoire's economy is largely market-based and relies heavily on agriculture, with smallholder cash crop production being dominant. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture ^[2]

Contents 1 History 1.1 French colonial era 1.2 Independence 1.3 Houphouët-Boigny administration 1.4 Bédié administration 1.5 1999 coup 1.6 Gbagbo administration 1.7 2002 uprising 1.8 2003 unity government 1.9 Aftermath 2004 - 2007 2 Regions and departments 2.1 Population of major cities 3 Politics 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Name 8.1 Usage 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

History

Main article: History of Côte d'Ivoire

Little is known about Côte d'Ivoire before the arrival of Portuguese ships in the 1460s. The early history of Côte d'Ivoire is virtually unknown although it is thought that a Neolithic culture existed there Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. A ship /ʃɪp/ is a large vessel that floats on water Ships are generally distinguished from Boats based on size The major ethnic groups came relatively recently from neighbouring areas: the Kru people from Liberia around 1600; the Senoufo and Lobi moved southward from Burkina Faso and Mali. The Kru are an ethnic group who live in interior of Liberia. Their history is one marked by a strong sense of ethnicity and resistance to occupation Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire The Senufo (the Francophone spelling Senoufo is commonly used are an ethnolinguistic group composed of diverse subgroups of Gur -speaking people living The Lobi are an Ethnic group that originated in what is today Ghana. Burkina Faso (bɚˌkiːnəˈfɑːsoʊ burr-KEE-na FAH-soh) also known by its short-form name Burkina, is a Landlocked nation in West Africa Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Akan people, including the Baoulé, migrated from Ghana into the eastern area of the country, and the Malinké from Guinea into the north-west. The Akan people are a linguistic group of West Africa. This group includes the Akuapem, the Akyem, the Ashanti, the Baoulé The Baoulé are one of more than sixty-five different Akan -speaking ethnic groups living in Cote d'Ivoire. The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the The Malinké or Maninka are a part of Mandé in Africa. Approximately 7750000 Malinké are scattered throughout West Africa, including Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea

French colonial era

Compared to neighbouring Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire suffered little from the slave trade. The history of slavery uncovers many different forms of human exploitation across many cultures throughout history European slaving and merchant ships preferred other areas along the coast, with better harbors. France took an interest in the 1840s, enticing local chiefs to grant French commercial traders a monopoly along the coast. Thereafter, the French built naval bases to keep out non-French traders and began a systematic conquest of the interior. They accomplished this only after a long war in the 1890s against Mandinka forces, mostly from Gambia. The Mandinka (also known as Mandingo) are one of the largest Ethnic groups in West Africa with a population estimated at eleven million. Guerrilla warfare by the Baoulé and other eastern groups continued until 1917. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc The Baoulé are one of more than sixty-five different Akan -speaking ethnic groups living in Cote d'Ivoire.

France's main goal was to stimulate the production of exports. In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion Coffee, cocoa and palm oil crops were soon planted along the coast. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom Cocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree from which Chocolate is made Palm oil is an edible plant oil derived from the Fruit of the Arecaceae Elaeis Oil palm. Côte d'Ivoire stood out as the only West African country with a sizeable population of "settlers"; elsewhere in West and Central Africa, the French and British were largely bureaucrats. British people, or Britons, are the native inhabitants of Great Britain and their descendants or citizens of the United Kingdom, of the As a result, a third of the cocoa, coffee and banana plantations were in the hands of French citizens and a forced-labour system became the backbone of the economy. Cocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree from which Chocolate is made CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. Fundamentally a plantation is usually a large Farm or estate, especially in a tropical or semitropical country on which Cotton, Tobacco An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area

Independence

The son of a Baoulé chief, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, was to become Côte d'Ivoire's father of independence. In 1944 he formed the country's first agricultural trade union for African cocoa farmers like himself. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Annoyed that colonial policy favoured French plantation owners, they united to recruit migrant workers for their own farms. Houphouët-Boigny soon rose to prominence and within a year was elected to the French Parliament in Paris. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city A year later the French abolished forced labour. Houphouët-Boigny established a strong relationship with the French government, expressing a belief that the country would benefit from it, which it did for many years. France made him the first African to become a minister in a European government.

In 1958, Côte d'Ivoire became an autonomous member of the French Community (which replaced the French Union).

At the time of Côte d'Ivoire's independence (1960), the country was easily French West Africa's most prosperous, contributing over 40% of the region's total exports. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. French West Africa ( Afrique occidentale française, AOF) was a Federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: When Houphouët-Boigny became the first president, his government gave farmers good prices for their products to further stimulate production. Coffee production increased significantly, catapulting Côte d'Ivoire into third place in world output (behind Brazil and Colombia). |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. By 1979 the country was the world's leading producer of cocoa. It also became Africa's leading exporter of pineapples and palm oil. Pineapple ( Ananas comosus) is the common name for an edible Tropical Plant and also its Fruit It is native to the southern part of Brazil Palm oil is an edible plant oil derived from the Fruit of the Arecaceae Elaeis Oil palm. French technicians contributed to the 'Ivoirian miracle'. In the rest of Africa, Europeans were driven out following independence; but in Côte d'Ivoire, they poured in. The French community grew from only 10,000 prior to independence to 50,000, most of them teachers and advisors. In Education, a teacher is one who helps Students or pupils often in a School, as well as in a Family, religious or For 20 years, the economy maintained an annual growth rate of nearly 10% - the highest of Africa's non-oil-exporting countries.

Houphouët-Boigny administration

Politically, Houphouët-Boigny ruled with a firmness some called an "iron hand"; others characterized his rule more mildly as "paternal. " The press was not free and only one political party existed, although some accepted this as a consequence of Houphouët-Boigny's broad appeal to the population that continually elected him. He was also criticized for his emphasis on developing large scale projects. Many felt the millions of dollars spent transforming his home village, Yamoussoukro, into the new capital that it became, were wasted; others support his vision to develop a center for peace, education and religion in the heart of the country. The District of Yamoussoukro is the official Capital city of Côte d'Ivoire. But in the early 1980s, the world recession and a local drought sent shockwaves through the Ivoirian economy. Thanks also to the overcutting of timber and collapsing sugar prices, the country's external debt increased threefold. Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. Crime rose dramatically in Abidjan.

In 1990, hundreds of civil servants went on strike, joined by students protesting institutional corruption. The unrest forced the government to support multi-party democracy. Houphouët-Boigny became increasingly feeble and died in 1993. He favoured Henri Konan Bédié as his successor. Aimé Henri Konan Bédié (born May 5 1934) is an Ivorian politician

Bédié administration

In October 1995, Bédié overwhelmingly won re-election against a fragmented and disorganised opposition. He tightened his hold over political life, jailing several hundred opposition supporters. In contrast, the economic outlook improved, at least superficially, with decreasing inflation and an attempt to remove foreign debt.

Unlike Houphouët-Boigny, who was very careful in avoiding any ethnic conflict and left access to administrative positions wide-open to immigrants from neighbouring countries, Bedié emphasized the concept of "Ivority" (Ivoirité) to exclude his rival Alassane Ouattara, who had two parents of foreign nationality, from running for future presidential election. The word Ivoirité (sometimes translated into English as Ivoirity) was first used by Henri Konan Bédié in 1995. Alassane Dramane Ouattara (born 1 January 1942 is an Ivorian politician who was Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from November 1990 to December 1993 As people originating from Burkina Faso are a large part of the Ivoirian population, this policy excluded many people from Ivoirian nationality, and the relationship between various ethnic groups became strained. Burkina Faso (bɚˌkiːnəˈfɑːsoʊ burr-KEE-na FAH-soh) also known by its short-form name Burkina, is a Landlocked nation in West Africa

1999 coup

Similarly, Bédié excluded many potential opponents from the army. In late 1999, a group of dissatisfied officers staged a military coup, putting General Robert Guéï in power. Robert Guéï ( March 16, 1941 &ndash September 19, 2002) was the military ruler of the Côte d'Ivoire from December 24, Bédié fled into exile in France. The new leadership reduced crime and corruption, and the generals pressed for austerity and openly campaigned in the streets for a less wasteful society.

Gbagbo administration

A presidential election was held in October 2000 in which Laurent Gbagbo vied with Guéï, but it was peaceful. Laurent Koudou Gbagbo (born May 31 1945) has been the President of Côte d'Ivoire (better known in English as the Ivory Coast since 2000 The lead-up to the election was marked by military and civil unrest. Guéï's attempt to rig the election led to a public uprising, resulting in around 180 deaths and his swift replacement by the election's likely winner, Gbagbo. Alassane Ouattara was disqualified by the country's Supreme Court, due to his alleged Burkinabé nationality. Alassane Dramane Ouattara (born 1 January 1942 is an Ivorian politician who was Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from November 1990 to December 1993 The existing and later reformed constitution [under Guei] did not allow non-citizens to run for presidency. This sparked violent protests in which his supporters, mainly from the country's north, battled riot police in the capital, Yamoussoukro.

2002 uprising

In the early hours of September 19, 2002, while the President was in Italy, there was an armed uprising. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Troops who were to be demobilised mutinied, launching attacks in several cities. The battle for the main gendarmerie barracks in Abidjan lasted until mid-morning, but by lunchtime the government forces had secured the main city, Abidjan. They had lost control of the north of the country, and the rebel forces made their strong-hold in the northern city of Bouake. The rebels threatened to move on Abidjan again and France deployed troops from its base in the country to stop any rebel advance. The French said they were protecting their own citizens from danger, but their deployment also aided the government forces. It is disputed as to whether the French actions improved or worsened the situation in the long-term.

What exactly happened that night is disputed. The government said that former president Robert Guéï had led a coup attempt, and state TV showed pictures of his dead body in the street; counter-claims said that he and fifteen others had been murdered at his home and his body had been moved to the streets to incriminate him. Alassane Ouattara took refuge in the French embassy, his home burned down.

President Gbagbo cut short a trip to Italy and on his return stated, in a television address, that some of the rebels were hiding in the shanty towns where foreign migrant workers lived. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Gendarmes and vigilantes bulldozed and burned homes by the thousands, attacking the residents.

An early ceasefire with the rebels, who had the backing of much of the northern populace, proved short-lived, and fighting over the prime cocoa-growing areas resumed. France sent in troops to maintain the cease-fire boundaries,^[7] and militias, including warlords and fighters from Liberia and Sierra Leone, took advantage of the crisis to seize parts of the west. Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa.

2003 unity government

In January 2003, President Gbagbo and rebel leaders signed accords creating a "government of national unity". Curfews were lifted and French troops patrolled the western border of the country. Since then, the unity government has proven extremely unstable and the central problems remain with neither side achieving its goals. In March 2004, 120 people were killed in an opposition rally, and subsequent mob violence led to foreign nationals being evacuated. A later report concluded the killings were planned.

Though UN peacekeepers were deployed to maintain a Zone of Confidence, relations between Gbagbo and the opposition continued to deteriorate.

Aftermath 2004 - 2007

Early in November 2004, after the peace agreement had effectively collapsed following the rebels' refusal to disarm, Gbagbo ordered airstrikes against the rebels. November 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September During one of these airstrikes in Bouaké, French soldiers were hit and nine of them were killed; the Ivorian government has said it was a mistake, but the French have claimed it was deliberate. They responded by destroying most Ivoirian military aircraft (2 Su-25 planes and 5 helicopters), and violent retaliatory riots against the French broke out in Abidjan.

Gbagbo's original mandate as president expired on October 30, 2005, but due to the lack of disarmament it was deemed impossible to hold an election, and therefore his term in office was extended for a maximum of one year, according to a plan worked out by the African Union; this plan was endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The African Union (abbreviated AU in English, and UA in its other working languages is a Confederation consisting of 53  African ^[8] With the late October deadline approaching in 2006, it was regarded as very unlikely that the election would be held by that point, and the opposition and the rebels rejected the possibility of another term extension for Gbagbo. ^[9] The U. N. Security Council endorsed another one-year extension of Gbagbo's term on November 1, 2006; however, the resolution provided for the strengthening of Prime Minister Charles Konan Banny's powers. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Charles Konan Banny (born 11 November 1942) was Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire from 7 December 2005 until 4 April Gbagbo said the next day that elements of the resolution deemed to be constitutional violations would not be applied. ^[10]

A peace deal between the government and the rebels, or New Forces, was signed on March 4, 2007, and subsequently Guillaume Soro, leader of the New Forces, became prime minister. The Forces Nouvelles de Côte d'Ivoire (New Forces FNCI or FN is a political coalition was formed in December 2002 in the wake of the first peace accords of the Ivorian Civil War Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Guillaume Kigbafori Soro (born May 8, 1972 in Ferkessédougou, Côte d'Ivoire) has served as the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire These events have been seen by some observers as substantially strengthening Gbagbo's position. ^[11]

Regions and departments

Main articles: Regions of Côte d'Ivoire and Departments of Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire is divided into nineteen regions (régions):

Agnéby Bafing Bas-Sassandra Denguélé Dix-Huit Montagnes Fromager Haut-Sassandra Lacs Lagunes Marahoué

Moyen-Cavally Moyen-Comoé N'zi-Comoé Savanes Sud-Bandama Sud-Comoé Vallée du Bandama Worodougou Zanzan

The regions are further divided into 58 departments. Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast is divided into nineteen Regions ( régions) |||}The regions of Côte d'Ivoire are divided into 58 departments ( french: Départements ' The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. Agnéby is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Agboville. Bafing is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Touba. Bas-Sassandra is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is San-Pédro. Denguélé is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Odienné. Dix-Huit Montagnes (or Montagnes) is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. Fromager is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Gagnoa. Haut-Sassandra is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Daloa. Lacs is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Yamoussoukro. Lagunes (literally meaning "lagoons" in French is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. Marahoué is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Bouaflé. Moyen-Cavally is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Guiglo. Moyen-Comoé is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Abengourou. N'zi-Comoé is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Dimbokro. Savanes is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Korhogo. Sud-Bandama is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Divo. Sud-Comoé is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Aboisso. Vallée du Bandama is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. Worodougou is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire. The region's capital is Séguéla. Zanzan is one of the 19 regions of Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa |||}The regions of Côte d'Ivoire are divided into 58 departments ( french: Départements '

Population of major cities

City	Population
Abidjan	3,310,500
Bouaké	775,300
Daloa	489,100
Yamoussoukro	295,500
Korhogo	163,400
San Pédro	151,600
Divo	134,200

Politics

Main article: Politics of Côte d'Ivoire

Since 1983, Côte d'Ivoire's official capital has been Yamoussoukro; Abidjan, however, remains the administrative center. Abidjan is the largest city and former Capital of Côte d'Ivoire ( Ivory Coast) Bouaké (or Bwake) is the second largest city in Côte d'Ivoire, with a population of 775300 (2002 Census) and also the department of which Daloa is one of the fifty-eight departments of Côte d'Ivoire, lying west of Yamoussoukro in Haut-Sassandra Region. The District of Yamoussoukro is the official Capital city of Côte d'Ivoire. Korhogo is a Town and department in the Mountainous north-central region of Côte d'Ivoire. Divo is a town and department of Côte d'Ivoire. Divo Department is part of Sud-Bandama Region. The Politics of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast takes place in a framework of a presidential Republic, whereby the President of Côte d'Ivoire is both The District of Yamoussoukro is the official Capital city of Côte d'Ivoire. Abidjan is the largest city and former Capital of Côte d'Ivoire ( Ivory Coast) Most countries maintain their embassies in Abidjan, although some (including the United Kingdom) have closed their missions because of the continuing violence and attacks on Europeans. The Ivoirian population continues to suffer because of an ongoing civil war (See the History section above). International human rights organizations have noted problems with the treatment of captive non-combatants by both sides and the re-emergence of child slavery among workers in cocoa production.

Although most of the fighting ended by late 2004, the country remained split in two, with the north controlled by the New Forces (FN). A new presidential election was expected to be held in October 2005. However, this election could not be held on time due to delay in preparation and was postponed first to October 2006, and then to October 2007 after an agreement was reached among the rival parties.

Further information: Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire

Geography

Main article: Geography of Côte d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire is a country of western sub-Saharan Africa. Context of the conflict The civil war revolves around a number of issues particularly The end of the 30-year presidency of Félix Houphouët-Boigny forced Côte d'Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) is a sub-Saharan nation in southern West Africa located at 8 00°N 5 00°W In Computer graphics, a raster graphics image or bitmap, is a Data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of Pixels The Map Library should not be confused with the Map Library of The British Museum. Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries It borders Liberia and Guinea in the west, Mali and Burkina Faso in the north, Ghana in the east, and the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean) in the south. Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. Burkina Faso (bɚˌkiːnəˈfɑːsoʊ burr-KEE-na FAH-soh) also known by its short-form name Burkina, is a Landlocked nation in West Africa The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the The Gulf of Guinea is the part of the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Africa.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Côte d'Ivoire

Maintaining close ties to France since independence in 1960, diversification of agriculture for export, and encouragement of foreign investment, has made Côte d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the tropical African states. Ivorian Economy is largely Market based and depends heavily on the agricultural sector However, in recent years Côte d'Ivoire has been subject to greater competition and falling prices in the global marketplace for its primary agricultural crops: coffee and cocoa. That, compounded with high internal corruption, makes life difficult for the grower and those exporting into foreign markets.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Côte d'Ivoire

77% of the population are considered Ivorians. Demographic data Population 17654843 (Population growth rate2 They represent several different people and language groups. An estimated 65 languages are spoken in the country. One of the most common is Dyula, which acts as a trade language as well as a language commonly spoken by the Muslim population. French, the official language, is taught in schools and serves as a lingua franca in the country. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A lingua franca (from Italian, literally meaning Frankish language, see etymology under Sabir and Italian below is any Language widely The native born population is roughly split into three groups of Muslim, Christian (primarily Roman Catholic) and animist^[12]. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Animism (from Latin anima ( Soul, Life) commonly refers to a religious belief that Souls or Spirits exist in Animals Since Côte d'Ivoire has established itself as one of the most successful West African nations, about 20% of the population (about 3. 4 million) consists of workers from neighbouring Liberia, Burkina Faso and Guinea, over two thirds of these migrant workers are Muslim. 4% of the population is of non-African ancestry. Many are French, Lebanese, Vietnamese and Spanish citizens, as well as Protestant missionaries from the United States and Canada. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. In November 2004, around 10,000 French and other foreign nationals evacuated Côte d'Ivoire due to attacks from pro-government youth militias. Aside from French nationals, there are native-born descendants of French settlers who arrived during the country's colonial period.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Côte d'Ivoire

• Music of Côte d'Ivoire: Espoir 2000, Les Garagistes, Gyil, Dunun
• Roman Catholicism in Côte d'Ivoire
• Islam in Côte d'Ivoire
• List of Ivoirians
• List of writers from Côte d'Ivoire
• Art of Côte d'Ivoire

Name

The country was originally known in English as Ivory Coast. The culture of Côte d'Ivoire is ethnically diverse More than sixty indigenous Ethnic groups are often cited although this number may be reduced to seven clusters of ethnic wakka Traditional music Each of the more than sixty Ethnic groups of Côte d'Ivoire have their own Folk music traditions most showing strong vocal Polyphony The gyil (pronounced dʒɪl or dʒiːl) is a Pentatonic Percussion instrument, common to the Gur -speaking populations in This article is about the Mande bass drum For the West African talking drum see Dundun. The Catholic Church in Côte d'Ivoire is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in According to the CIA factbook, Muslims make up about 35-40% of the population of Côte d'Ivoire. Didier Drogba Bernard Agré Noel Ahipeaud Simeon Aké Affoué Amandine Allou This is a list of prominent and notable writers from Africa, including Poets Novelists Children's writers Essayists and Scholars listed African art constitutes one of the most diverse legacies on earth English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States In October 1985 the government requested that the country be known in every language as Côte d'Ivoire, without a hyphen between the two words (thereby contravening the standard rule in French that geographical names with several words must be written with hyphens).

Usage

Despite the Ivorian government's ruling, "Ivory Coast" (sometimes "the Ivory Coast") is still sometimes used in English:

• BBC usually uses "Ivory Coast" both in news reports and on its page about the country,^[13]
• The Guardian newspaper's Style Guide says: "Ivory Coast, not 'the Ivory Coast' or 'Côte D'Ivoire'; its nationals are Ivorians,^[14]
• ABC News, The Times, the New York Times, and the South African Broadcasting Corporation all use "Ivory Coast" either exclusively or predominantly. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. This article is about the American news organization See also ABC News (disambiguation ABC News is a division of American The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. SABC redirects here as this is the most common use of the abbreviation in English

Governments use "Côte d'Ivoire" for diplomatic reasons. The English country name registered with the United Nations and adopted by ISO 3166 is "Côte d'Ivoire". This article lists the member states of the United Nations (UN. ISO 3166 is a three-part Geographic coding standard for coding the names of countries and Dependent areas and the principal subdivisions English-speaking people in neighboring Liberia and Ghana both use "Côte d'Ivoire" in reference to "Ivory Coast". Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the Other organizations that use "Côte d'Ivoire" include:

• the United States Department of State uses "Côte d'Ivoire" in formal documents, but uses "Ivory Coast" in many general references, speeches and briefing documents,^[15]
• FIFA and the IOC, referring to their national football and Olympic teams in international games and in official broadcasts,
• The Economist newsmagazine,^[16]
• Encyclopædia Britannica^[17], and
• National Geographic Society. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) The Côte d'Ivoire national football team (sometimes written " Ivory Coast " in English nicknamed Les Éléphants (The Elephants, is the national team of The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc Overview The NGS's historical mission is "to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world's cultural historical and natural ^[18]

See also

• Civil war in Côte d'Ivoire
• Communications in Côte d'Ivoire
• Côte d'Ivoire national football team
• Fédération Ivoirienne du Scoutisme
• Foreign relations of Côte d'Ivoire
• Ivoirian diplomatic missions
• Labor exploitation in the chocolate industry
• List of Côte d'Ivoire-related topics
• List of cities in Cote d'Ivoire
• Military of Côte d'Ivoire
• Music of Côte d'Ivoire
• Transport in Côte d'Ivoire

References

• This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook which, as a U. The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the S. government publication, is in the public domain. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone
• This article contains material from the US Department of State's Background Notes which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain. The Background Notes series is a collection of works by the United States Department of State. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

External links

Government

• (French) Présidence de la République de Côte d'Ivoire Official Site of the Ivorian President
• Embassy of Côte d'Ivoire in Japan government information and links

News

• allAfrica - Côte d'Ivoire news headline links
• Abidjan.Net news forum links

Overviews

• BBC News - Country Profile: Ivory Coast
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, Country Page - Côte D'Ivoire
• CIA World Factbook - Côte d'Ivoire
• Library of Congress Country Study - Ivory Coast data as of November 1988

Culture

• Cote D'Ivoire literature at a glance

Directories

• The Index on Africa - Côte d'Ivoire directory category
• Open Directory Project - Côte d'Ivoire directory category
• Stanford University - Africa South of the Sahara: Côte d'Ivoire - Ivory Coast directory category
• University of Pennsylvania - African Studies Center: Cote d'Ivoire directory category
• Yahoo! - Cote d'Ivoire directory category

Tourism

• Côte d'Ivoire travel guide from Wikitravel
• Travel Overview of Côte d'Ivoire
• Lonely Planet - Cote d'Ivoire

Other

• Map of Côte d'Ivoire
• (French) Parti Ivoirien du Peuple
• Global Security - Ivory Coast Conflict
• Akwaba in Ivory Coast
• French intervention in Ivory Coast 2002-2003
• Safer Access - A Precis of the Historical Security Context in Cote d'IvoirePDF (193 KiB)

Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International

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