Ivory Coast

Abstract

Located in West Africa, Ivory Coast covers an area of 322,462 square kilometres (km) and has a population of about 23 million. It borders Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Mali. Its capital city is Yamoussoukro, but the economic capital and largest city is the port city of Abidjan. As a former French colony, its official language is French. Its currency is the CFA franc (CFA). Following a decade of political turmoil and incidents of civil unrest and violent conflict, business has been booming in this West African country in recent years. Ivory Coast is the largest economy in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WEAMU). It is the world’s top exporter of cocoa and raw cashew nuts, an offshore oil producer, and has a significant manufacturing sector. Its GDP in 2016 amounted to US$36.37 billion, making it the fourteenth largest economy in Africa. The three main imports are crude petroleum, rice, and refined petroleum. Goods imported outside of the Economic Community of West African States cannot be imported by land and can only go through Customs at Abidjan or San-Pédro after being brought in either by air or by sea. Abidjan, the economic capital, hosts the autonomous port