Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) is a West African nation on the Gulf of Guinea, known for the skyscraper skyline of Abidjan, the vast man-made basilica of Yamoussoukro, the colonial-era beach town of Grand-Bassam, and a coastline of lagoons and palm-lined beaches stretching from Ghana to Liberia. It is the world's largest cocoa producer and West Africa's economic engine, blending a modern commercial capital with rainforest national parks, Sahelian towns in the north, and dozens of distinct ethnic cultures.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Ivory Coast.
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1
Early European Contact
Portuguese navigators reach the Ivorian coast and trade with Akan, Kru and other coastal peoples for ivory and gold, the origin of the name Cote d'Ivoire
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2
French Missionaries at Assinie
French Capuchin missionaries land near Assinie in the southeast, an early but short-lived European foothold on the coast
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3
French Protectorate Treaties
French naval officer Admiral Bouet-Willaumez signs treaties with local kings at Grand-Bassam and Assinie, establishing French protectorates over the coastal region
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4
Colony of Cote d'Ivoire Established
France formally establishes Cote d'Ivoire as a separate colony, with Grand-Bassam as its first capital
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5
Capital Moves to Bingerville
The colonial capital relocates from Grand-Bassam to Bingerville following a severe yellow fever epidemic
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6
Joins French West Africa
Cote d'Ivoire becomes part of the federation of French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Francaise), governed from Dakar
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7
Capital Moves to Abidjan
The colonial capital moves again to Abidjan, which grows into the country's commercial hub around its lagoon port
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8
Houphouet-Boigny Founds the PDCI-RDA
Felix Houphouet-Boigny, a planter and physician, founds the Parti Democratique de Cote d'Ivoire and campaigns to end forced labor across French West Africa
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9
Independence
Cote d'Ivoire gains independence from France on 7 August 1960, with Felix Houphouet-Boigny as its first president
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10
Yamoussoukro Named Capital
Houphouet-Boigny's home town of Yamoussoukro is officially designated the political capital, though Abidjan remains the economic and diplomatic center
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11
Death of Houphouet-Boigny
President Houphouet-Boigny dies after 33 years in power; Henri Konan Bedie succeeds him as president
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12
Military Coup
A Christmas Eve coup led by General Robert Guei overthrows President Bedie, the country's first coup since independence
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13
Civil War and Partition
An armed uprising splits the country between a government-held south and a rebel-held north, with French and United Nations peacekeepers deployed until the 2007 Ouagadougou Political Agreement
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14
Post-Election Crisis
Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refuses to concede the 2010 presidential election to Alassane Ouattara, triggering months of violence until Gbagbo's arrest in April 2011
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15
Reconstruction and Growth
Under President Ouattara, Cote d'Ivoire rebuilds infrastructure and becomes one of West Africa's fastest-growing economies, while reconciliation efforts continue
Historical sites
Places where Ivory Coast's past comes alive.
Basilica of Our Lady of Peace
Where: Yamoussoukro
Admission: XOF 5,000 adult / XOF 2,000 child (approx $8.75 / $3.50), includes dome access
Grand-Bassam Colonial Quarter (Quartier France)
Where: Grand-Bassam
Admission: Free to walk the district
Musee National des Costumes
Where: Grand-Bassam
Admission: XOF 2,000 adult / XOF 1,000 child (approx $3.50 / $1.75)
Ancien Palais du Gouverneur (Former Governor's Palace)
Where: Bingerville
Admission: Free to view exterior
Musee des Civilisations de Cote d'Ivoire
Where: Plateau, Abidjan
Admission: XOF 3,000 adult / XOF 1,500 child (approx $5.24 / $2.62)