About Côte d’Ivoire (also known as The Ivory Coast)

Many of you ask….”where in the world is MC?” “What is it like there?” “Côte d’Ivoire, in what language is that?!” Well, this blog is my way of sharing with you this lovely country in which I am currently living.

Here is a little background about Côte d’Ivoire (also known as the Ivory Coast).

Continent: Africa
Location: West part of Africa. The countries of Liberia, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali border Côte d’Ivoire.
Meaning: Côte d’Ivoire literally means “coast of ivory” in French. This used to be the area where poachers hunted down and killed elephants for their precious tusks of ivory. After so many years of this activity, elephants here are a seriously endangered species.
Flag Colors: Orange, White, Green
Population: approximately 20 million in the country (to give you a reference, there are 18 million people in Florida and about 3 million in Mississippi- makes you realize how huge a country like the US is)
Languages: French (officially) but there are 60 other (native) languages! Everyone here speaks at least one other native language besides French.
Religions: about 35% Muslim, about 30% Christian, about 35% indigenous religions
Literacy rate: 51% (meaning about only half of the people in this country can read and write compared with the 99% literacy rate in the U.S)
Independence Day: The Ivory Coast gained independence from the French August 7, 1960 (the United States gained Independence from the English on July 4, 1776)
Weather: There are not seasons in terms of temperature really because it’s always hot! But there are seasons based on humidity and rainfall. Warm and Dry (November to March), Hot and Dry (March to May), and Hot and Wet (June to October)

What is one of the most interesting things about CI? I think one of the most interesting things is that there are approximately 64 different languages, in addition to French, spoken here. Ivorians often speak the official national language, French, and at least one or two of the 60 languages. Another interesting aspect of Côte d’Ivoire is that there is about the same ratio of Muslims as there are Christians which creates a certain religious harmony and respect that is sometimes atypical in the United States. For example, in my neighborhood, there is a mosque and a church practically side by side. So, depending on the time of day, I will hear chants from the imam or the hymns from the evangelists.