National Flag:
Three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; orange symbolizes the land (savannah) of the north and fertility, white stands for peace and unity, green represents the forests of the south and the hope for a bright future.
Note: Similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and has the colors reversed – green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France.
Capital: Yamoussoukro
Langauges: French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken.
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs
Main Industries:
Cote d’Ivoire is the world’s largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for these products, and, to a lesser extent, in climatic conditions. Despite government attempts to diversify the economy, it is still heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, engaging roughly 68% of the population. Main industries produce foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity, and ship construction and repair.
Did You Know?
- Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment made Cote d’Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the West African states, but did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999, a military coup – the first ever in Cote d’Ivoire’s history – overthrew the government.
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Most of the inhabitants of Cote d’Ivoire live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated.
