Category: Côte d’Ivoire

The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) is a country in West Africa, bathed by the Gulf of Guinea. The name of the country was given by the Portuguese, who had been trading valuable elephant tusks and other goods in that area since the 15th century. In the 19th century, France established trading posts there and declared the region its colony in 1893. Independence was conquered in 1960. There are 24 million residents (2016). The official capital is Yamoussoukro, designated in 1983. Abidjan is a commercial and administrative center, which houses embassies from various countries.