From Wikitravel

Cote d'Ivoire (sometimes still referred to as "Ivory Coast") is a country in West Africa. It has a southerly facing North Atlantic Ocean coast, and is surrounded by Ghana to the east, Liberia to the west, Guinea to the northwest, Mali to the north, and Burkina Faso to the northeast.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Terrain 4.3 History 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By car 5.4 By bus 5.5 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact

Regions

Cities

• Abidjan - Remains the administrative center and other countries maintain their embassies there.
• Aboisso
• Bouake - the second largest city
• Dabou
• San-Pedro
• Yamoussoukro - Although it has been the official capital since 1983, it is not the administrative centre.

Other destinations

Two National Parks are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

• Tai National Park
• Comoe National Park

Understand

Climate

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). The coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible.

Terrain

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).

History

Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the tropical African states, but did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert Guei blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and brought runner-up Laurent Gbagbo into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002. Rebel forces claimed the northern half of the country, and in January 2003 were granted ministerial positions in a unity government under the auspices of the Linas-Marcoussis Peace Accord. President Gbagbo and rebel forces resumed implementation of the peace accord in December 2003 after a three-month stalemate, but issues that sparked the civil war, such as land reform and grounds for citizenship, remain unresolved. The central government has yet to exert control over the northern regions and tensions remain high between Gbagbo and opposition leaders. Several thousand French and West African troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to maintain peace and facilitate the disarmament, demobilization, and rehabilitation process.

Get in

By plane

The Felix-Houphouet Boigny International Airport has daily scheduled flights to and from Paris (Air France [1]) and Amsterdam (KLM [2]). There are also regular flights to other West-African capitals. The airport is a modern facility and increased security has shaken its old reputation as a place for travellers to be ripped off.

By train

The train journey between Abidjan and Ougadougou cuts through rebel territory and should not be attempted by foreign travellers.

By car

It is illadvised to try to enter Cote d'Ivoire from Guinea, Liberia, Mali or Burkina Faso. The Ghanaian border is fairly secure. If you enter at Elubo, you can easily catch a shared taxi to Aboisso and then a bus to Abidjan. There are about ten millitary check-points between the border and Abidjan so have your documents ready. If you do not have proper documentation of your innoculations at the border you will be forced to pay a small fine and they will give you an injection at an on-site clinic.

By bus

Busses run daily between Abidjan and Accra. The service is offered alternatingly by the STC (Ghana) and its Ivoirian equivalent.

By boat

Get around

Inter-city travel in Cote d'Ivoire is usually more comfortable than travel in neighbouring African countries. The roads are generally in good condition and the bus service is relatively modern. The down side is the very frequent millitary check-points which add hours to a trip. Though the stops are a hassle, Ivoirian soldiers tend to be pretty professional and don't hassle non-French western travellers. Soldiers in Ghana for example are much more likely to demand a bribe than in Cote d'Ivoire. Most western governments recommend that their citizens steer clear of Cote d'Ivoire. This should be taken particularly seriously by people travelling on French passports. An Ivoirian soldier's attitude towards you will change very quickly when you explain that you are not French.

Talk

The official language is French, but there are 60 native dialects as well. The most widely spoken is Dioula.

Buy

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth office (FCO) advises against all travel to the Ivory Coast at this time.

Most of the crime commited in Abidjan is by unemployed youth. Should you ever feels in danger it would be wise to seek the help of a middle-aged man. This older generation is often very contemptuous of young criminals and will likely help you out if you are being hassled. Generally Ivoirians will recognize the dangers to foreigners in their country and will often be very protective of naive travellers. This is especilly true in the Abidjan neighbourhoods of Treichville and Adjame.

Stay healthy

Respect

Although the country was previous referred to in English "Ivory Coast", the country has requested that it be called "Cote d'Ivoire" (in French). Prounouncing it "Coat di-VWAR" is close enough for an English-speaking person.

Contact

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