The minimum you must know

The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (or "Ivory Coast," in English) is a densely populated west African country on the coast between Liberia and Ghana. It was therefore probably part of the Liberia slave trade in the 1700s and 1800s.

France colonized and joined three tribal regions together to form the combined country from 1843 to 1963. Then Félix Houphouët-Boigny led an independence revolution, and ruled until 1993. He was clearly important to Côte d'Ivoire's security. because several internal and external armed conflicts following that destabilized the country. There was armed conflict in Mali, confrontation at the presidential compound in Burkina Faso, and Côte d'Ivoire endured three armed conflicts in 1999, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011. But Côte d'Ivoire fully stabilized once again under elected leadership.

That past does not appear to be the country's future. Today Côte d'Ivoire enjoys tremendous economic and geopolitical success. A vibrant economy developed supported by strong agricultural exports. The country became one of the top coffee/cocoa manufacturers globally. And while half the population is striving to join the middle class, Côte d'Ivoire has nearly the top GDP per capita on the continent, including for a burgeoning upper class. The population respects the law and cherishes the country's stability and independence. Similarly to bordering Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire is considered a vibrant and stable democracy.

Côte d'Ivoire is at peace globally.