Ivory Coast

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Lore & Background

Ivory Coast was traditionally home to several states, including Gyaaman, the Kong Empire, and Baoulé. The area became a protectorate of France in 1843 and was consolidated as a French colony in 1893 amid the Scramble for Africa. It achieved independence in 1960, led by Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who ruled the country until 1993. Relatively stable by regional standards, Ivory Coast established close political-economic ties with its West African neighbours while maintaining close relations with the West, especially France. Its stability was diminished by a coup d'état in 1999 and two civil wars—first between 2002 and 2007 and again during 2010–2011. It adopted a new constitution in 2016. The Ghana Empire, the earliest of the Sudanic empires, flourished in the region encompassing present-day southeast Mauritania and southern Mali between the 4th and 13th centuries. At the peak of its power in the 11th century, its realms extended from the Atlantic Ocean to Timbuktu.

In Their Own Story

From its independence in 1960 led by Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who ruled until 1993, Ivory Coast experienced a dramatic economic arc. The 1960s and 1970s saw the nation become an economic powerhouse driven by coffee and cocoa production. However, an economic crisis in the 1980s triggered political and social turmoil that lasted until 2011. This period was marked by a coup d'état in 1999 and two civil wars: one from 2002 to 2007 and another during 2010–2011. Peace returned with the adoption of a new constitution in 2016. Since then, the country has achieved remarkable recovery; between 2012 and 2023, real economic growth averaged 7.1% annually, making it the second-fastest growing economy in Africa and fourth-fastest globally. By 2023, it held the second-highest GDP per capita in West Africa, behind only Cape Verde.

Reader's Guide

Ivory Coast is a republic with strong executive power vested in its president. Through the production of coffee and cocoa, it was an economic powerhouse in West Africa during the 1960s and 1970s, then experienced an economic crisis in the 1980s, contributing to a period of political and social turmoil that extended until 2011. Ivory Coast has again experienced high economic growth since the return of peace and political stability in 2011. From 2012 to 2023, the economy grew by an average of 7.1% per year in real terms, the second-fastest rate of economic growth in Africa and fourth-fastest rate in the world. In 2023, Ivory Coast had the second-highest GDP per capita in West Africa, behind Cape Verde. Despite this, as of the most recent survey in 2016, 46.1% of the population continues to be affected by multidimensional poverty. As of 2023, Ivory Coast is the world's largest exporter of cocoa beans and has high levels of income for its region. The economy still relies heavily on agriculture, with smallholder cash-crop production predominating.

Did You Know?

• Originally, Portuguese merchant-explorers named the coast Costa do Marfim, meaning 'coast of ivory', later translated into French as Côte d'Ivoire.
• In April 1986, the government declared that Côte d'Ivoire would be its formal name for diplomatic protocol and has since officially refused to recognize any translations from French to other languages.
• The earliest known inhabitants of Ivory Coast have left traces scattered throughout the territory; historians believe they were displaced or absorbed by ancestors of present indigenous inhabitants who migrated south befo
• The Ghana Empire flourished in the region encompassing present-day southeast Mauritania and southern Mali between the 4th and 13th centuries.