Formerly known as the Ivory Coast, this West Africa country officially uses its French name, Côte d'Ivoire (pronounced kot dee-VWAHR). The geography ranges from coastal beaches and forests in the south to a savanna plateau in the north. Muslims, who make up 40 percent of the population, live mostly in the north, while Christians (35 percent) mostly inhabit the south. The country has 60 ethnic groups, the Baoule, inhabiting the central region, is the largest group. The dominance of the Baoule in running the country since independence is a major issue with other groups.
The official language is French but more than 60 native dialects are spoken.

The climate is Tropical along coast, semiarid in far north, three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October).Its main exchange earners are Cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish.

It has a population estimated to 17,327,724.
Mostly flat to undulating plains, mountains in northwest. Most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region. Apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated. The highest point is Mont Nimba (1,752 meters).