Côte d’Ivoire

Where the name comes from

Côte d’Ivoire is French for “Ivory Coast”, after the elephant-ivory trade once typical of this part of West Africa’s coast.

First people

Akan, Mandé, Kru and other communities lived here, with histories that cross today’s borders.¹

Known for

Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s largest cocoa producer, and its plantations drew workers from across the region, especially Burkina Faso and Mali.^2,3

Outside contact

French protectorate treaties began in 1843, and a colony was created in 1893.¹

The modern country

Independence came in 1960. Later conflicts over land and citizenship made belonging a central political question: who built the country’s wealth, and who could share it?¹