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Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

History

Government Observers

Country Facts

During the seventeenth century, European traders frequented the coastline of Côte d'Ivoire in order to participate in the lucrative ivory trade, which gave the area its name. The trade, however, quickly brought about the near extinction of the region's elephants and by the beginning of the eighteenth century the trade in ivory had virtually stopped. In the closing decades of the seventeenth century, the French became the first Europeans to build a permanent coastal settlement in Côte d'Ivoire, at Assini. Yet, it was not until the mid-nineteenth century that they were able to establish themselves firmly along the coast. By the end of the nineteenth century, they began to extend their control from the coastal areas into the hinterland. This extension was often gained through the use of military force and culminated in formal colonization in 1893. The French, however, faced considerable resistance from the indigenous population. Perhaps the greatest resistor was Samori Touré, whose well-equipped and sizeable army rivaled those of France's colonial armed forces. The strength of local resistance to colonial rule is signaled by the fact that it was not until the end of the first decade of the twentieth century that France's military conquest of Côte d'Ivoire came to an effective end.

In 1960, under the leadership of Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d'Ivoire gained its independence from France. Prior to falling cocoa prices and political instability in 1999, Côte d'Ivoire was hailed as a model of stability for developing West African nations. In December 1999, Côte d'Ivoire faced its first military coup, which led to the overthrow of then President Henri Konan Bedie's government. The ten months of military rule, which ensued following the coup, were brought to an end when Laurent Gbagbo assumed the presidency from junta leader Robert Guei. Since then, the country has suffered from intermittent political conflict, which signals that Côte d'Ivoire may be in danger of slipping into the kind of internal strife that has plagued many African countries.

President: His Excellency Laurent Koudou GBAGBO

Ministre des Mines et de l'Énergie: Komoé Augustin KOUADIO

Ministère Des Mines et de l'Énergie

B.P. V 50

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Telephone: +225 21 66 17

Fax: +225 21 53 20

Population: 21,058,798

Capital: Yamoussoukro

Major languages: French (official language) and Indigenous Languages including Kwa, Atlantic, Mandé, Voltaic (Gur), Agni, Baoulé, Mandé and Sénoufo

Major religions: Islam, Christianity, Indigenous Belief Systems

Life expectancy: 44 years (men), 47 years (women)

Monetary unit: 1 CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) franc = 100 centimes

Main exports: Cocoa, coffee, tropical woods, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish

Average annual income: US $660

Internet domain: .ci

International dialing code: +225

Chairman's Statement:

In 2005, the United Nations Security Council issued a ban a diamonds originating in Côte d'Ivoire that does not incorporate extraction. Since more than 75% of Ivorian diamonds are gem-quality, the industry remains extremely active and rampant smuggling channels are effectively exploited via Guinea, Sierra Leone and Mali.

Thanks to a malfunctioning Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, diamond production is actually flourishing in Côte d’Ivoire and Ivorian diamonds are successfully circulated on the world market after reaching the major diamond centers in Antwerp and Rama Gan.