1.5 A taste of Côte dʹIvoire
Côte dʹIvoire,( pronounced koht dee VWAR) is a country that lies along the Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa.
Capital: Yamoussoukro is the capital of Côte d’ Ivoire. Most government business, however, takes place in Abidjan, the economic center and former capital of the country. Abidjan is also Côte d’ Ivoireʹs largest city and main port. Official language: French. Area: 322,463 km ²( 124,504 mi ²). Elevation: Highest: Mount Nimba, 1,752 m( 5,748 ft). Lowest: sea level. Population: Estimated 2011 population: 20 150 000; density: 64 per km ²( 166 per mi ²). Chief products: Cocoa beans, coffee, and palm oil are Côte d’ Ivoireʹs chief exports. Other major exports include bananas, cotton, petroleum products, pineapples, and rubber. Ivorian farmers also grow cassava, corn, rice, and yams; and they raise cattle, sheep, and goats. Flag: The flag has three vertical stripes of orange, white, and green( left to right). Money: Basic unit-CFA franc. CFA stands for Communaute Financiere Africaine( African Financial Community).
The countryʹs official name is Republique de Côte dʹIvoire, which is French for Republic of the Ivory Coast. The name first appeared on European maps of West Africa in the late 1600ʹs as Côte des Dents ou de lʹYvoire( Tusk or Ivory Coast). This name referred to the booming coastal trade in elephant tusks at that time. France declared Côte d’ Ivoire a colony in 1893, but did not fully control it until 1915. Côte d’ Ivoire gained independence in 1960.
French is the official language of Côte dʹIvoire. The Jula( Dyula) language, which is used in trade, is most widely spoken.
More than half of all Ivorians live in small villages. The villages 8