Ivory Coast: World Encyclopedia For Students & Children

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Country: Ivory Coast – République de Côte d’Ivoire
System of government: Republic
Capital: Abidjan (conurbation pop. 1,200,000)
Location: In western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea, bordered by Mali, Upper Volta, Ghana, Liberia and Guinea.
Area: 322,463 sq km
Population: 29,389,150 (2021 census)
National composition: Akani, Mandingo, Senufo and other ethnic groups
Religions: Animist, Islamic
Official language: French
Currency: CFA franc = 100 centimes
Administrative divisions: 24 départements
Other major cities: Bouaké (pop. 260,000), Korhogo (pop. 150,000)
Highest elevation: Mount Nimba (1,752 m)
Chief rivers: andama, Comoe, Cavalla (Cavally)
Climate: Equatorial, wet, with relative humidity as high as 98%

Motto: Union – Discipline – Travail
(French: Unity – Discipline – Labour)
Anthem: “L’Abidjanaise”
“Song of Abidjan”

Ivory Coast Location Map:

The north of the country is savanna from which the granite Nimba massif rises in the west. The central parts are covered by tropical rain forest. The coast is flat and marked by many lagoons. The rich animal life includes several species of antelopes, elephants, lions, monkeys, crocodiles, parakeets and flamingoes.

There are extensive plantations producing coffee, cocoa, bananas, pineapples and groundnuts which constitute a large proportion of the exports. Tea, maize, rice, cassava and cotton are also cultivated. Stock raising is confined to the higher districts but the yields are constantly endangered by sleeping sickness which is spread by the tsetse fly.

Alluvial deposits of gold are extensively worked and there are also mines yielding industrial diamonds. The country has oil, uranium, manganese and bauxite. One of the major export commodities is timber from extensive tropical forests, which contain mahogany, teak and makore wood.

Ivory Coast has a relatively well-developed food-processing industry, a timber industry and even some engineering plants. Abidjan is a large international port and has regular air services to France and main centres in western Africa. There is a railway which terminates in Upper Volta. The roads serve as a feeder system for the railway. Recently, the Ivory Coast has become a popular tourist centre.