Cote d’Ivoire gained its independence from France in 1958, and is known as being the largest exporter of cocoa beans in the world. After a period of political unrest beginning in 1999, Cote d’Ivoire’s economy has seen an upturn. Cote d’Ivoire hopes to become an emerging economy by the year 2020, and has had some success reducing poverty levels in recent years. Agricultural production accounts for the majority of the nation’s GDP, and since the overthrow of former President Gbagbo, Cote d’Ivoire has seen less political unrest.

• Country Profile
  • Land Mass/Major Cities – Situated in North Western Africa, Cote d’Ivoire is a coastal nation situated in between Ghana and Liberia. Its capital city is Yamoussoukro.
  • Languages – French (official) and 60 native languages, Dioula being the most commonly used
• Business Activity
  • Agriculture – Bananas, cassava, cocoa beans, coffee, corn, cotton, palm kernels, rice, rubber, sugar, sweet potatoes, and timber
  • Industries – Beverages, building materials, electricity, fertilizer, foodstuffs, gold mining, oil refining, textiles, truck and bus assembly, and wood products
  • Natural Resources – Bauxite, clay, cobalt, cocoa beans, coffee, copper, diamonds, gold, hydropower, iron ore, manganese, natural gas, nickel, palm oil, petroleum, silica sand, and tantalum
  • Exports – Bananas, cocoa, coffee, cotton, fish, palm oil, petroleum, pineapples, and timber
  • Imports – Capital equipment, foodstuffs, and fuel
  • Major Trading Partners – Bahamas, Belgium, Burkina Faso, China, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Netherlands, Nigeria, Switzerland, and the United States

Source: CIA. (2017). The World Factbook: Cote d’Ivoire. CIA. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/iv.html