Facts for Kids

Long before modern maps, the land that is now Ivory Coast included important kingdoms like Gyaaman, the Kong Empire, and the Baoulé people’s lands. In the 1800s, France took control; Ivory Coast became a French protectorate in 1843 and later a colony in 1893.

In 1960 Ivory Coast gained its independence, which means it became its own country with its own leaders. The first president was Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who guided the country as it began to build its new government and economy.

Ivory Coast (officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire) is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city is Yamoussoukro, but the largest city and the main place for business is Abidjan. The country sits beside the Gulf of Guinea and shares borders with Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ghana.

About 31.5 million people lived in Ivory Coast in 2024, making it one of the most-populated countries in West Africa. The official language is French, and about 78 local languages are also spoken, such as Bété, Baoulé, and Dyula. People follow different religions, including Islam, Christianity, and traditional beliefs.

cocoa is a very important crop in Ivory Coast. The country became the world’s leading cocoa producer and sends lots of cocoa beans to make chocolate in other countries. Coffee is also grown a lot—at times Ivory Coast was one of the top coffee producers in the world. Other important crops include pineapples and palm oil.

Farmers grow these crops on large and small farms, and the beans and fruits are packed and sent to ports for trade. In the past, people and technicians from France helped build farms and factories, which changed how crops were grown and traded.

People in Ivory Coast belong to many ethnic groups, and each group has its own songs and dances. Many styles use singing with more than one voice at the same time, which makes rich harmonies. Musicians often play many beats together; these polyrhythms are when different rhythms happen at once and make the music lively.

Drums that seem to “talk” are used in some communities to send messages and lead dances. Today, traditional sounds mix with modern pop and dance styles. Popular kinds of music include zoblazo, zouglou, and Coupé-Décalé, and musicians like Magic System, Alpha Blondy, Dobet Gnahoré, and Tiken Jah Fakoly are known around the world.

biodiversity means the many different kinds of life in a place. Ivory Coast has more than 1,200 kinds of animals—mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, and fish—and about 4,700 kinds of plants. Because the country has forests, savannas, and wetlands, it is one of the most varied places for nature in West Africa.

Most wild animals live inland, where people made nine protected areas called national parks. The biggest is Assagny National Park, about 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres). There are different habitats too—rain forests, mountain forests, forest–savanna mixes, savannas, and mangrove swamps—and each one helps different animals and plants survive.

Alassane Ouattara became president in 2010 and was re-elected in 2015. He won a third term in 2020; some groups chose not to take part in that vote, and the country's Constitutional Council — a group that checks rules and decisions — approved his third term. Leaders sometimes make big changes in who runs the government. For example, in October 2023 President Ouattara dissolved the government and removed Prime Minister Patrick Achi, which means he changed the team that handles daily government work.

Under Ouattara, the country has focused on rebuilding the economy and improving security, while leaders work to make services and roads better for people.

Félix Houphouët-Boigny led Ivory Coast from 1960 until 1993. He wanted the country to grow quickly, so his government encouraged farming and paid good prices to farmers. Because of these policies, production of crops like coffee and cocoa grew a lot. By 1979, Ivory Coast was the world’s top cocoa producer and a leading exporter of pineapples and palm oil.

Many projects were built with help from France, including roads and schools, and people sometimes called this fast growth the "Ivorian miracle." But the country followed a one-party system, and during the 1980s rising debt and unhappy groups led to more difficult times.