by
KAYLA O

NATIONAL FLAG OF CÔTE D'IVOIRE

LOCATION:

A BRIEF HISTORY OF COTE D'IVOIRE

The European nation that colonized Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) was France. The natives were not treated very well. They were used as slaves and were traded for African gold, ivory, and food stuffs. 

Colonization was helpful to the indigenous population.  The French had a goal to stimulate the production of exports, so they planted coffee, cocoa, oil and palms (the oil came from the palms) along the coast for trading.  Now Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s third largest coffee producer, with similar results with cocoa.

Côte d’Ivoire became independent on August 7, 1960.  Independence came when they ended their community membership with the French.

          After Côte d’Ivoire won their independence, their president Felix Houph-Boigny died in 1993.  Then Henri Konan Bedie became president.  Everything was fine until 1999 when pressure from the falling prices of export crops of cocoa and coffee caused Bedie to become corrupt and mismanage the government.  Soon Côte d’Ivoire was led to its first coup (overturn).  To this day, they are still struggling to have a stable government.

          If Côte d’Ivoire wasn’t colonized they probably would not be the world’s third largest coffee producer with similar results with cocoa.

Works Cited

Flag and map courtesy of Microsoft Clipart Gallery.

Sheeban,Patricia. Côte D'Ivoire.

Lonely Planet. www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations 

Info Please. http://www.infoplease.com/countries.html