The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, also known commonly as the Ivory Coast, is a country in West Africa. It borders Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ghana to the west, north, and east, and borders the Gulf of Guinea to its south. One of the most prosperous of the tropical African states, it has been plagued by recent political turmoil.
In the 19th century, Côte d'Ivoire was seized by Louis Gustave Binger, (1856-1936) as a colony for France. It became independent in 1960.
On December 25, 1999, a military coup d'état - the first ever in Côte d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. An economic downturn followed. The new regime promised to return the country to democratic rule in 2000. In October 2000, Laurent Gbagbo replaced junta leader Robert Guei as president, ending ten months of military rule.
In 2002 a rebellion in the North and the West came up and the country is now divided in three parts. A reconciliation process (2003) under international auspices is on the way. Several thousand French and West African troops remain in Côte d'Ivoire to maintain peace and help implement the peace accords.
The official capital since 1983 is Yamoussoukro; however, Abidjan remains the administrative center. Most countries maintain their embassies in Abidjan.
Maintaining close ties to France since independence in 1960, diversification of agriculture for export, and encouragement of foreign investment has made Côte d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the tropical African states.
The country was originally known in English as Ivory Coast, and corresponding translations in other languages: Elfenbeinküste in German, Costa de Marfil in Spanish, and so on. Because of the disorder this could produce in international forums, in October 1985 the government requested that the country be known as Côte d'Ivoire in every language.
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