The Republic of Ivory Coast, or Ivory Coast

The Republic of Cote d'ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast, is one of the countries located in West Africa. In the past, it was a French colony, and today it is a completely independent state both territorially and politically. Country Cote dvoir is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. On a land the state borders on Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea. The territory is 322,460 km. Sq. M.

general information

This is one of the states in which there are at least five dozen ethnic groups. The capital of the country is the city of Yamoussoukro, which is the residence for almost 250 thousand people. Unlike most European countries, here the capital is not always the main city. In this state, for example, the main city is Abidjan, whose population is about 3 million people. The official language in the Côte d'Ivoire is French, as a relic of colonial times. In addition to the official, there are a number of local languages, the most popular are Baule, Beta and Gyula. Compared with many other African countries, this is quite developed, and the standard of living of the population is quite good.

State Symbols of the Côte d'Ivoire

The state flag represents three identical vertical strips: orange, white and green. The first color symbolizes savannah, the second - peace and unity, the third - forests and hope. There are other interpretations.

The main element of the emblem of the state is the elephant, which is not only one of the most widespread animals in the state, but even present in the name of the country. The national anthem was officially adopted, as soon as the country became independent, in 1960.

Geography

The territory of the state is mostly flat, in the south there are moist-tropical forests, and in the north - high-grass savannas. The climate, like in most of Africa, is very hot, in the south it is equatorial, in the north - subequatorial. On the territory of the country there are three large rivers and several small ones. Komoe, Sassandra and Bandama are of little interest as transport routes, because they consist of many mouths and rapids, and periodically dry out.

Among natural resources there are many precious and expensive raw materials. For example, diamonds, gold, oil, gas, nickel, copper, manganese, cobalt, bauxite, etc. In the territory of Côte d'Ivoire, tourists can enjoy visiting various national parks. It is in this country that the most developed and beautiful sights of West Africa are located, and one of the parks is even included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

History of the Cote d'ivoire

The map of the territory of this state, like many others, evolved over many thousands of years. A significant part of the peoples living in a modern country came from the north-eastern and eastern parts of the continent. In this territory, over time, countries with a very developed management system were established.

During the Middle Ages, European merchants paved the way for Côte d'Ivoire. The first to come to the country were the Spaniards and the Portuguese through the Gulf of Guinea, and later the British and the Dutch began to arrive. The trading goods for European merchants were ivory, gold, pepper, ostrich feathers. Later, the country began to actively participate in the slave trade.

At the end of the XIX century, after long battles between local tribes and French troops, the country's territory was occupied, and France turned it into its colony. Since 1958, the state was proclaimed a republic, part of the French community. In 1960, on August 7, the country gained independence.

In the first 25 years after the independence of Côte d'Ivoire, the pace of development of the state continued to gain momentum. However, in 1987, due to the decline in prices for goods supplied by the country on the world market, the economy of the state began a serious decline.

Interesting Facts

• Despite the fact that officially the Independence Day from France should be celebrated on August 7, because of field work, most of the population notes it on December 7.
• The people of the state are very musical. They have a lot of different dances for every significant event. For example, a dance of harvest, a fisherman's dance, etc.
• Previously, the country was famous for its forests. Now most of the valuable species of trees have been destroyed because of fires, clearing of territories and for other reasons.

Conclusion

Like most African countries, to date Côte d'Ivoire can not boast of good development indicators or an excellent standard of living. However, the state nevertheless occupies certain niches in the world market. For example, Côte d'Ivoire is the world's largest cocoa supplier and third supplier of coffee. Although there are not so many enterprises with highly qualified personnel, the agricultural market still helps the economy of the country stay afloat.