Contents

Draft:Côte d’Ivoire

Côte d’Ivoire
Country


Official name
Republic of Côte d’Ivoire
Native name
République de Côte d’Ivoire




Capital
Yamoussoukro
Largest city
Abidjan



Official languages
French


Demonym
Ivorian




Legislature
Parliament








Currency
West African CFA franc(XOF)



Calling code
+225






Website
[gouv.ci Official website]


Côte d’Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire (French: République de Côte d’Ivoire), is a country in West Africa. 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. Its political capital is Yamoussoukro, while Abidjan is the country's largest city and its principal economic and administrative centre. The country covers about 322,462 square kilometres and had an estimated population of 32.7 million in 2025.[1]

Côte d’Ivoire gained independence from France on 7 August 1960 and joined the United Nations on 20 September of the same year.[2][1] The state formally adopted the name Côte d’Ivoire for international use in 1986, rather than translated forms such as Ivory Coast.[2]

French is the official language, while numerous indigenous languages are spoken throughout the country; Dioula is among the most widely used African languages.[3] Côte d’Ivoire uses the West African CFA franc and is an important regional economy based on agriculture, services, manufacturing, mining and energy. It is the world's leading producer of cocoa and also a major producer of cashew nuts.[4]

Name

The country's French name, Côte d’Ivoire, literally refers to the "Ivory Coast", a name connected with the historic coastal trade in ivory. English-language sources historically used Ivory Coast, but the government requested that the French form Côte d’Ivoire be used internationally. The United States Department of State's historical record notes that the state's internationally used name changed from Ivory Coast to Côte d’Ivoire in 1986.[2]

Geography

Côte d’Ivoire lies on the southern edge of West Africa and has a coastline on the Gulf of Guinea. Its total surface area is approximately 322,462 square kilometres.[1] The landscape changes from coastal lagoons and humid forest areas in the south to woodland and savanna farther north. Western parts of the country are generally more elevated and hilly than the central and eastern regions.[5]

The country has a tropical climate, with regional differences in rainfall and the timing of wet and dry seasons. Forest ecosystems are especially important in the south and west, while northern landscapes contain extensive savanna environments. Côte d’Ivoire is also exposed to climate-related risks including higher temperatures, less predictable rainfall and coastal flooding associated with sea-level rise.[6]

Côte d’Ivoire contains several internationally important protected areas. Comoé National Park, in the northeast, covers more than one million hectares and contains a transition between savanna and rainforest habitats.[7] Taï National Park in the southwest protects a major area of tropical forest and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982.[8]

History

Pre-colonial period and French rule

The territory of present-day Côte d’Ivoire has long been home to numerous West African peoples and political communities. Akan-speaking peoples, including Agni and Baoulé communities, expanded into parts of the territory during the eighteenth century, while Mande, Kru and Gur-speaking populations were established in other regions.[9]

France established protectorate agreements in the coastal areas of Grand-Bassam and Assinie during the 1840s. Côte d’Ivoire formally became a French colony in 1893, and from 1904 it formed part of French West Africa. French control expanded inland over the following decades amid resistance from local rulers and communities.[9]

After the Second World War, political reforms expanded representation and political activity in French African territories. Félix Houphouët-Boigny, a physician, agricultural leader and politician, became one of the most important figures in Ivorian politics. He represented Côte d’Ivoire in French institutions and helped lead the movement toward greater autonomy.[9]

Independence and Houphouët-Boigny era

Côte d’Ivoire became an autonomous republic within the French Community in 1958 and gained full independence on 7 August 1960. Houphouët-Boigny became the country's first president and remained in office until his death in December 1993.[9]

During the early decades after independence, Côte d’Ivoire developed an export-oriented economy centred on cocoa, coffee and other agricultural products and maintained close economic and diplomatic relations with France and other Western countries. Houphouët-Boigny's Democratic Party of Côte d’Ivoire dominated political life for much of this period, with multiparty politics formally returning in 1990.[10]

After Houphouët-Boigny's death, Henri Konan Bédié became president. Political and economic tensions increased during the 1990s, and on 24 December 1999 the government was overthrown in Côte d’Ivoire's first military coup.[11]

Civil conflict and political crisis

A rebellion in September 2002 developed into an armed conflict that divided the country between a government-controlled south and rebel-held areas in the north. A peace agreement signed in 2003 led to the establishment of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) in 2004 to support the peace process.[12]

A presidential election held in 2010 was followed by another severe political and military crisis. The United Nations-certified result identified Alassane Ouattara as the winner, while incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo refused to leave office. Fighting continued for several months and ended in April 2011 with Gbagbo's arrest. Ouattara was sworn in and formally inaugurated as president in May 2011.[12][13]

UNOCI continued to assist with civilian protection, disarmament, security reform and reconciliation before completing its mandate on 30 June 2017.[14]

Recent period

Ouattara has remained president since 2011. In the presidential election of 25 October 2025, the Independent Electoral Commission reported 3,759,030 votes for Ouattara, representing 89.77% of valid votes cast in polling places where voting took place.[15] The Constitutional Council subsequently issued the decision proclaiming the definitive presidential election results.[16]

Government and politics

Côte d’Ivoire is a presidential republic. The president serves as head of state and is elected by direct universal suffrage. As of September 2026, Alassane Ouattara is president, Tiémoko Meyliet Koné is vice-president, and Robert Beugré Mambé is prime minister and head of government.[17][18][19]

The national parliament is bicameral. The National Assembly forms the lower chamber, while the Senate forms the upper chamber. The Senate was introduced under the 2016 constitutional framework, changing the legislature from a unicameral to a bicameral institution.[20]

Administrative divisions

Côte d’Ivoire's territorial administration includes regions, departments, sub-prefectures, villages, communes and two autonomous districts. The government's Directorate-General of Territorial Administration lists 31 regions, 108 departments, 509 sub-prefectures, 8,576 villages and 201 communes, together with the two autonomous districts.[21]

Abidjan and Yamoussoukro have autonomous district status. Major cities include Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, Bouaké, San-Pédro, Korhogo, Daloa and Gagnoa.[22]

Economy

Côte d’Ivoire has one of the largest economies in West Africa. Agriculture has historically played a central role, while services, industry, mining, oil production, construction and manufacturing have expanded substantially. According to United Nations data, nominal gross domestic product was estimated at about US$78.8 billion in 2025, with services accounting for the largest share of gross value added.[1]

The country is the world's leading producer of cocoa and is also a major producer of cashew nuts. The World Bank describes Côte d’Ivoire as the world's top producer of both cocoa and cashew and notes efforts to expand domestic processing and diversify the economy beyond raw commodity exports.[4] In 2024, Côte d’Ivoire was also the world's largest exporter of raw or roasted cocoa beans by export value in World Bank trade data.[23]

Cocoa provides income to millions of people and remains closely linked to rural livelihoods, government revenue and export earnings. The sector also faces challenges involving price volatility, farmer incomes, deforestation and climate change.[6]

Economic growth remained strong during the first half of the 2020s. The International Monetary Fund estimated real GDP growth of 6.5% in 2025 and projected growth of about 6% in 2026. The IMF identified mining, oil, services, household consumption and investment as important contributors to medium-term economic activity, while noting risks from external demand, commodity prices and global uncertainty.[24]

The national currency is the West African CFA franc (XOF), issued within the West African regional monetary system.[1]

Demographics

United Nations data estimated Côte d’Ivoire's population at approximately 32.7 million in 2025, with a population density of about 103 people per square kilometre.[1] The country has also experienced substantial migration from other parts of West Africa, linked in part to its agricultural and urban economy.

French is the country's sole official language. Dozens of African languages and varieties are spoken, including languages belonging to Akan, Gur, Mande and Kru language families. Dioula functions as an important language of interregional communication and trade.[3]

The 2021 national census recorded Islam and Christianity as the country's two largest religious traditions. Among residents of ordinary households, 42.5% identified as Muslim and 39.8% as Christian. The census recorded 12.6% with no religion, 2.2% following animist traditions, 0.7% following other religions and 2.2% whose religion was not determined.[25]

Government figures report life expectancy at birth of about 62 years in 2024, while the most recently cited adult literacy figure was approximately 50% for 2021.[22]

Education

The Ivorian education system includes primary, secondary, technical and higher education institutions. Access to education was disrupted by the country's periods of civil conflict, particularly in areas directly affected by fighting. UNESCO reports that out-of-school rates declined considerably after the end of the second civil conflict, although access and educational quality remain development priorities.[26]

Major higher-education institutions include universities in Abidjan and other regional centres, alongside technical and professional schools.

Culture

Ivorian culture reflects the traditions of numerous communities and the country's long history of interaction among coastal, forest, savanna and Sahelian cultures. Music, masked dance, weaving, woodcarving, food traditions and oral performance remain important forms of cultural expression.

UNESCO lists five Ivorian elements on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: the Gbofe music tradition of the Tagbana community, Zaouli music and dance of Guro communities, traditional loincloth-weaving skills, skills connected with the production of attiéké, and cultural practices involving the balafon as part of a multinational inscription.[27]

Zaouli is a masked music and dance tradition practised by Guro communities around Bouaflé and Zuénoula. UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List in 2017.[28]

Attiéké, a food made from processed cassava, is widely associated with Ivorian cuisine. The skills involved in its production were added to UNESCO's Representative List in 2024.[27]

Heritage

Côte d’Ivoire has five properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The cultural properties are the Historic Town of Grand-Bassam and the Sudanese-style mosques of northern Côte d’Ivoire. The natural properties are Comoé National Park, Taï National Park and the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, the latter shared with Guinea.[29]

The Historic Town of Grand-Bassam preserves architecture and urban features associated with the country's colonial-era coastal history, while the northern mosques represent distinctive forms of earthen architecture. The natural sites protect some of West Africa's most important forest, savanna and mountain ecosystems.[29]

Sport

Association football is the country's most prominent spectator sport. The men's national team, known as the Elephants, has won the Africa Cup of Nations three times, in 1992, 2015 and 2023. Côte d’Ivoire hosted the tournament played from January to February 2024 under the official title of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and defeated Nigeria 2–1 in the final in Abidjan to win its third championship.[30]

The tournament was staged in Abidjan, Yamoussoukro, Bouaké, San-Pédro and Korhogo, using six stadiums across five host cities.[31]

International relations

Côte d’Ivoire became a member of the United Nations on 20 September 1960.[1] It also participates in regional and international organizations including the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

The country has maintained extensive economic and diplomatic relations with its West African neighbours, France and other international partners since independence.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Côte d’Ivoire. UNData. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Office of the Historian. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cote d’Ivoire atlas. The World Factbook. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Côte d’Ivoire. World Bank Group. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  5. ↑ Background Notes: Cote d'Ivoire, July 1998. United States Department of State Archive. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Understanding Côte d’Ivoire’s Sustainable Development Issues in Five Charts. World Bank. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  7. ↑ Comoé National Park. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  8. ↑ Taï National Park. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Cote d'Ivoire (07/08). United States Department of State Archive. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  10. ↑ 1996 Human Rights Report: Cote D'Ivoire. United States Department of State Archive. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  11. ↑ Cote d'Ivoire (08/09). United States Department of State Archive. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 UNOCI Background. United Nations Peacekeeping. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  13. ↑ Presidential Elections: UNOCI Resources. United Nations Peacekeeping. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  14. ↑ United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire. United Nations Peacekeeping. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  15. ↑ Election du Président de la République: Scrutin du 25 octobre 2025 – Résultats. Commission Électorale Indépendante. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  16. ↑ Textes de loi. Commission Électorale Indépendante. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  17. ↑ La Présidence de la République. Portail officiel du Gouvernement de Côte d'Ivoire. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  18. ↑ Tiémoko Meyliet Koné – Le Vice-Président. Présidence de la République de Côte d’Ivoire. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  19. ↑ Gouvernement Robert Beugré Mambé du 23 janvier 2026. Portail officiel du Gouvernement de Côte d'Ivoire. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  20. ↑ L’Assemblée nationale de Côte d’Ivoire. Portail officiel du Gouvernement de Côte d'Ivoire. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  21. ↑ Création de circonscriptions administratives. Direction Générale de l'Administration du Territoire. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Présentation de la Côte d'Ivoire. Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et de la Coopération Internationale. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  23. ↑ Cocoa beans, whole or broken, raw or roasted exports by country, 2024. World Integrated Trade Solution. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  24. ↑ IMF Executive Board Completes the Sixth Reviews Under the EFF/ECF Arrangements and the Fifth Review Under the RSF Arrangement for Côte d’Ivoire. International Monetary Fund. 24 June 2026. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  25. ↑ Résultats globaux définitifs du RGPH 2021. Institut National de la Statistique. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  26. ↑ Côte d'Ivoire – 2026 GEM Report: Access and equity. Global Education Monitoring Report. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Côte d'Ivoire – Elements on the Lists. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  28. ↑ Zaouli, popular music and dance of the Guro communities in Côte d’Ivoire. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Côte d'Ivoire. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  30. ↑ CAF 2024: A year to remember for African Football. Confédération Africaine de Football. 25 December 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
  31. ↑ Tout ce qu'il faut savoir sur la Coupe d'Afrique des Nations CAF TotalEnergies Côte d'Ivoire 2023. Confédération Africaine de Football. 9 January 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2026.
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