Everything you need to know about Ivory Coast (Cote D?Ivoire):: news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
The African Cocoa country of Cote D'Ivoire
The West African country of Cote D’Ivoire or Ivory Coast does not have a long pre-history as not much of the ancient ruins remain, however the first Portuguese ships arrived here in the 1460’s. Later on ethnic groups like the Kru, Senoufo, Lobi, Akan converged on Cote D’Ivoire from the neighbouring countries like Liberia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana and Guinea. In order to tap Cote D’Ivoire’s considerable Cocoa and Coffee plantations the French colonised the country in the 1890’s. It was not until 1960 when the people of Ivory Coast rose under the leadership of Félix Houphouët-Boigny, a Cocoa farmer to free their country of the french rule. Boigny transformed his home village Yamoussoukro into Cote D’Ivoire’s capital whereas Abidjan is Ivory Coast’s largest city and administrative center. Although the country enjoyed relative peace and prosperity under Bogny’s rule, however his successor Henri Konan Bédié reign in the 1990’s led to economic strife and imntenal turmol within Cote D’Ivoire. Ivory Coast is also a music lovng country and the Ivory Coast Soccer team has also made its mark at the 2006 football world cup. Lastly Cote D’Ivoire’s chocolate is world famous owing to its large cocoa plantations.
Cote D’Ivoire Facts and Info :
Cote D’Ivoire enjoys large forest coverage with considerable rainforests that are home to endangered species like the Pygmy Hippopotamus and many monkey species. The warm and humid equatorial; climate of Cote D’Ivoire has made it the world’s largest Cocoa producer apart from a significant producer of Coffee, Bananas and Palm oil. Cote D’Ivoire is even blessed when it comes to other natural and mineral resources such as petroleum, diamonds, bauxite and copper.
Economy and Culture of Cote D’Ivoire:
Cote D’Ivoire is the world’s largest Cocoa producer and exporter and about 70% of Ivorians are engaged in the agricultural sector. The country also receives aid from its from France, its former protectorate. Cote D’Ivoire’s GDP also benefits substantially from Coffee, Petroleum and Natural Gas exports. Abidjan in Cote D’Ivoire has many wealthy French expatriates and modern infrastructure including French-based schools. Cote D’Ivoire’s economy has also benefited from the significant exports of Ivory chocolates to all parts of the world.
Cote D’Ivoire is an amalgamation of more than sixty indigenous communities that can be grouped into seven clusters such as the Kru, Voltaic, Mande, Akan and others. The influence of neighbouring cultures is evident in Cote D’Ivoire’s music, food, dance and dress styles. The French influence is visible from the official French language and name of the country. The Ivoria’s are a music loving people and it characterises all aspects of their lives, be it birth, death, marriage with traditional music instruments like the talking drum, Akombe, Kpalago, Cleavers. Alpha Blondy, the famous Reggae singer belongs to Cote D’Ivoire.
Although the Cote D’Ivoire cuisine is similar to its neighbours, Maquis is a small open-air eatery unique to the Ivorians and grated cassava (Attieke) is the traditional Cote D’Ivorian dish to be had with Bangui, a local palm wine.
Tourist Attractions of Cote D’Ivoire:
Yamoussoukro, Cote D’Ivoire’s capital has many architectural places to visit such as the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix whereas Abidjan has the Ifon Museum apart from the bustling central marketplace of Treichville. Visitors traveling to Cote D’Ivoire should definitely visit the beach resort of Assouinde in Abidjan, which also offers many skiing and shark watching opportunities.
New Delhi, May 15 (ANI): Defence Minister A.K. Antony today reviewed the progress on various steps and actions taken to enhance coastal security.
New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) Defence Minister A.K. Antony Wednesday called upon various agencies to work together to ensure a seamless and robust coastal security architecture and said that fishermen should be made an integral part of the planning process.
New Delhi, May 14 (ANI): Defence Minister A.K. Antony today called upon the top brass of Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard to ensure timely implementation of measures envisaged under Phase - II of Coastal Security Plan.
London, May 13 (ANI): Brad Pitt is apparently obsessed with his 12-pound pots of French jam and can't get enough of it.
Melbourne, May 10 (ANI): Richard Branson is opening up his private Australian hideaway to more guests, as he plans to turn the heart-shaped island into a boutique hotel.
Washington, May 5 (ANI): Women might think they are most desirable when they are all dolled up and looking elegant, but men beg to differ.
Washington, May 3 (ANI): Lindsay Lohan was seen shopping at an electronics store in California when in actuality she should have been admitted herself into a rehab center.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 2 (IANS) Excitement is mounting at the famed tourist destination of Kovalam as it gets ready to host the first ever surfing and stand-up paddle competition to be held over three days starting Friday. The event has been named as the Spice Coast Open.
New Delhi, Apr. 29 (ANI): Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Monday said AgustaWestland has participated in bids to procure choppers for Indian Navy and Coast Guard as no decision has been taken by the Central Government to debar it from the procurement process.
Panaji, April 26 (IANS) The Goa government will work out a compensation package for 29 fishermen -- of whom five are missing and one is dead -- involved in a mid-sea collision with an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said here Friday.
Washington, April 26 (ANI): Finding from new excavations at Ceibal, an ancient Maya site in Guatemala, have challenged the two prevailing theories on how early Maya civilization began, suggesting its origins are more complex than previously thought.
Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) Two fishermen were killed and four went missing when an Indian fishing vessel sank after it was hit by a large vessel off the Goa-Karwar coast in the Arabian sea Thursday, an official said Friday.
Panaji, April 25 (IANS) Six fishermen are missing after a trawler collided presumably with a merchant ship on the deep seas off the coast of Canacona sub-district, in south Goa, police said Thursday.
Washington, Apr 25 (ANI): The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn has launched a new ad campaign this month where they portray Jesus as "The Original Hipster."
Montego Bay (Jamaica), April 24 (IANS/CMC) World and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Melaine Walker has been confirmed for the 100m hurdles at the Jamaica International Invitational (JII) Meet May 4.
Tokyo, April 23 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Japan has lodged a note of protest after eight Chinese maritime surveillance vessels entered Japanese territorial waters Tuesday near a chain of islands claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing, Kyodo news agency reported.
Kolkata, April 22 (IANS) Indian Coast Guard Ship Rajdoot, designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers here, was commissioned by Controller General of Defence Accounts Arunava Dutt at a function here Monday.
Kolkata, Apr. 22 (ANI): Indian Coast Guard Ship 'Rajdoot', designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata, was commissioned by Arunava Dutt, the Controller General of Defence Accounts, at an impressive ceremony here on Monday.
Melbourne, Apr. 22 (ANI): Good nutrition, exercise and sun protection are the best things for appearance and self-esteem, Australia's head of cosmetic surgery has said.
Marrakech, April 21 (IANS) The Golden Eaglets of Nigeria lashed Congo 7-0 here to qualify from Group B for the semi-finals of the ongoing 10th African Under-17 Football Championship.
Washington, Apr. 19 (ANI): Florida police has drawn out a new plan to crackdown on sex offenders by posting 'sexual predator' signs outside their homes.
Gaborone (Bostwana), April 19 (IANS) Botswana is set to play 2012 African champions Zambia in the first round qualifiers of the 2014 African National Championships (CHAN) football tournament.
Sydney, Apr.16 (ANI): Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal has admitted that his incredible 42-match, 10-year unbeaten run at Monte Carlo will end one day, but adds that he is in no hurry to see that day.
Marrakesh (Morocco), April 15 (IANS) Nigeria defeated Ghana 6-1 here in their opening group B match at the ongoing 10th Confederation of African Football (CAF) Under-17 championship.
Melbourne, Apr 14 (ANI): Golfing greats Greg Norman and Brandel Chamblee have joined the numerous voices criticising World No.1 Tiger Woods decision to play on at Augusta National even after his ball-drop fiasco instead of withdrawing.
Mumbai, Apr. 10 (ANI): Indian Coast Guard Ship H-191, the fifth of the series of twelve Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs), was commissioned here on Wednesday by Director General Indian Coast Guard Vice Admiral Anurag G. Thapliyal.
Gold Coast (Australia), April 10 (IANS) China's Hainan province could share a greater slice of the $131 billion global surfing industry by becoming part of the international surfing network, an Australian researcher said Wednesday at a meeting of World Surf Cities Network here.
New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) Described by English writer-editor Ian Jack as the Jane Austen of India, award-winning novelist and screenplay writer Ruth Prawar Jhabvala was renowned for her evocative novels of the rainbow societies of 19-20th century India - two of which became successful films.
Mumbai, April 4 (IANS) A small shipping vessel suspected to be involved in smuggling activities was seized off Mumbai harbour early Thursday, officials said.
London, Apr 4 (ANI): Manchester City footballer Yaya Toure is set to sign a new 45 million-pound deal at the club.
London, Apr. 4 (ANI): American author Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, whose scripts for 'Howards End' and 'A Room With A View' earned her two Academy Awards, has died in New York. She was 85.
New York, April 3 (IANS) Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, the German-born novelist and award winning screen writer for Merchant-Ivory Productions, died Wednesday at her home in New York. She is survived by three daughters.
London, Apr 2 (ANI): Best tweeters of all-time in the fields of art and photography, celebrity, politics, sport, fashion and other areas, have been revealed in a new list.
New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) Two-wheeler major Hero MotoCorp Monday reported a decline of 11.35 percent in its sales for March, which stood at 468,283 units from 528,290 units sold in the corresponding month of 2012.
Chennai, April 1 (IANS) An increasing number of films is being shot at picturesque international locales, but the unit of upcoming Tamil thriller "Netru Indru" shot the movie in uninhospitable forests of Tamil Nadu and on edges of bordering states. The director admits it was challenging.
New York, March 28 (ANI): A Chinese mother has brought a 6.5 million dollar apartment at the posh, still-unfinished One57 building in midtown for her 2-year-old daughter to use during her college.
London, Mar 28 (ANI): Second tier French club AS Monaco is eyeing to bring Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini at the club, and it's Russian billionaire owner Dmitry Rybolovlev is set to offer a 170 million pound transfer kitty to the Italian in order to lure him to the Monte Carlo based club.
Durban, March 26 (IANS) As leaders from the five BRICS nations, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and a host of invitees, gather here for the BRICS Summit March 26-27, Africa will be the focus at the 5th edition.
Washington, March 25 (ANI): Scientists have revealed that the dramatic fireball that lit up skies over the U.S. East Coast on Friday evening was caused by an asteroid just 3 feet (0.9 meters) or so wide.
Melbourne, March 24 (ANI): A bit of psychological acupuncture might help you to reduce your food cravings and lose weight, according to a Gold Coast-based Bond University researcher.
New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) Batting for a well "strategised Coast Guards" to guard the country's coastline, the Supreme Court Thursday said the three-layer security system involving the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and custom officials had failed to live up to task and prevent the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.
New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) The Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) has cleared Reliance Industries' (RIL) KG-D6 and NEC-25 blocks for oil and gas exploration along with three other areas, the petroleum ministry said Thursday.
London, March 20 (IANS) Actress Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux are reportedly planning to have two weddings, one in New York and another in California.
Washington, Mar. 19 (ANI): By examining the frequency of extreme storm surges in the past, previous research has shown that there was an increasing tendency for storm hurricane surges when the climate was warmer.
New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) India's efforts to raise its engagement with French-speaking Cote d'Ivoire - the former Ivory Coast - will see the formation of an India-Cote d'Ivoire Business Council that can serve as a bridge to the west African region.
London, Mar. 19 (ANI): Lindsay Lohan, who pleaded no contest to reckless driving, lying to police and obstructing officers who were investigating a car accident in which she was involved in June, has been sentenced to 90 days in a rehabilitation centre.
New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) Indian investments and knowhow are crucially important for boosting farm sector growth and ensuring food sufficiency in Africa region, senior ministers of several African countries said Monday.
New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) India is committed to Africa's socio-economic, technological and human resource development and partners the African governments in a consultative, participative and responsive manner based on Africa's own assessment of their needs, an Indian minister said here Monday.
Washington, March 16 (ANI): Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher were recently spotted together at the Gemsfield Jewelry event in London, after being apart for almost a week.
Washington, March 15 (ANI): A Canadian inventor in Thailand is claiming that his brew made from elephant dung is the next big thing in the world of coffee.
New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) Despite an unimpressive performance in Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge Cup qualifiers, India jumped 24 places and are ranked 143 in the latest FIFA rankings released Thursday.
Marrakech (Morocco), March 10 (IANS) FIFA president Sepp Blatter arrived here to take part in the 35th Confederation of African Football (CAF) Ordinary General Assembly.
Washington, Mar 10 (ANI): The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is preparing to be able to operate without human traders in case another disaster forces the shutdown of its historic trading floor in downtown Manhattan.
Johannesburg, March 9 (IANS) Cameroonian Issa Hayatou will be re-elected unopposed in Morocco Sunday for a final four-year term as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) president.
Muscat, Mar. 8 (ANI): The Indian Coast Guard's first pollution control vessel, Samudra Prahari, has arrived in Oman for a four-day friendly visit.
New Delhi, Mar. 6 (ANI): A group of Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu met Minister of State for Defence Jitendra Singh here today, regarding recent arrest of fishermen from Tuticorin by the Sri Lankan Navy in the Gulf of Mannar.
Bogota, March 5 (IANS) The Colombian Navy has seized 1.564 tonnes of cocaine which were being smuggled by boat to central America, officials said.
Cape Town, Mar. 5 (ANI): African forest elephants are being poached out of existence.
Melbourne, Mar 5 (ANI): Australian tennis ace Bernard Tomic has reportedly been linked to a notorious motorcycle gang on the Gold Coast, weeks after the Australian Crime Commission disclosed increasing links between organised crime and professional athletes.
Chennai, Mar 2 (IANS) Six fishermen stranded on the high seas off Kanyakumari after their boat developed a snag have been rescued, the Indian Coast Guard said Saturday.
Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 1 (IANS) Malayalam romantic comedy film "My Boss", directed by Jeethu Joseph, has completed 100 days and a party was organised here for its success.
Washington, Mar 1 (IANS) Elephants, a protected species, are fast vanishing from Congo's Okapi Faunal Reserve (OFR), recording an alarming 37 percent decline over the past five years, according to surveys carried out by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), an environmental protection organisation.
Colombo, Feb 26 (IANS) Twenty-one Sri Lankan fishermen have been released from India and are due to arrive here Wednesday, the fisheries ministry said here.
Mumbai, Feb 26 (IANS) The Indian Navy rescued nine crew members of a sinking fishing vessel off Goa in the Arabian Sea, an official said here Tuesday.
Sydney, Feb. 25 (ANI): Australian police are investigating a Facebook 'party page' after five teenagers had to be treated for alcohol-related injuries at the party promoted on the social networking site.
Mumbai, Feb 22 (IANS) The Indian Coast Guard Friday inducted a new generation Arneson surface drive (ASD) propulsion system-equipped interceptor boat at a ceremony here.
Moscow, Feb 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Massive spending on transport infrastructure combined with measures to lure more foreign direct investment and improve the business climate could help boost Russia's flagging economic growth, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said Thursday.
Bhubaneswar, Feb 20 (IANS) A two-day nationwide strike called by major trade unions hit normal life across Odisha on the first day of the stir Wednesday, disrupting road and rail traffic, officials said.
New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) After "Gangnam Style", it's "Harlem Shake" that has found a frenzy among internet users around the world, including in India. The 30-second original video has had over 12,350,000 views so far since it was uploaded Feb 2.
New York, Feb. 19 (ANI): A woman from Florida, destroyed an unoccupied home in the early hours of Friday after some "ultra-friendly antics" with her boyfriend caused her to lose control of her Hyundai.
London, Feb 17 (ANI): Bond star Naomie Harris launched a Skyfall-branded train on the Flying Scotsman's old route from London to Edinburgh on Saturday.
New Delhi/Male, Feb.13 (ANI): Indian Naval Ship 'Kalpeni' is in the Maldives on a five-day joint exercise with the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Coast Guard.
Sydney, Feb 12 (ANI): Croatian tennis star Bernard Tomic and his 'blonde bombshell' girlfriend Chelsey Grbcic have split up, after the Australian Open, which takes place in Melbourne in January.
Johannesburg, Feb 12 (IANS) The Confederation of African Football (CAF) selected five members of the Nigerian national team for inclusion in the Team of the Tournament for the just ended Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) Indian Coast Guard ship Rajratan, the fifth in a series of eight inshore patrol vessels (IPVs), was commissioned by Director General Indian Coast Guard Vice Admiral M.P. Muralidharan in Kolkata Monday.
Melbourne, Feb 9 (ANI): An Australian toddler, aged one, has become one of the youngest students at Gulliver's Swim School at Coomera on the Gold Coast to swim 150m continuously.
Washington, Feb. 7 (ANI): Michelle Obama, who has been nominated for a Grammy Award for her spoken-word reading of 'American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America,' has revealed her songs.
Washington, Feb 7 (IANS) Nitrogen in oceans fuels the growth of two tiny but toxic algae species harmful to marine life and human health, warns a new study.
Sydney, Feb 6(ANI): Brisbane recruitment consultant and Souths second-grade pace man Rhys Yorke ended a remarkable weekend when he took three wickets in three balls on Saturday, only to repeat the feat on Sunday during a domestic cricket game.
Melbourne, Feb 5 (ANI): Australian airline Jetstar is launching the country's first in-flight dating service, coupling up with dating site RSVP as they try to ensure love is in the air for singles this Valentine's Day.
Tokyo, Feb. 3 (ANI): Japanese coast guard have arrested the captain of a Chinese boat on suspicion of illegally fishing for coral in Japan's exclusive economic zone near Miyako Island, Okinawa Prefecture.
Abuja (Nigeria), Feb 3 (IANS) Nigeria's ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has urged their national football team to win the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) as they tackle the 'Elephants' of Cote d'Ivoire Sunday in the quarterfinals in South Africa.
Tunis, Feb 3 (IANS) The Tunisia Football Federation will replace head coach Sami Trabelsi after the national team failed to qualify for the quarterfinals of the African Nations Cup.
New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) The Ministry of Defence has given positive indications about clearing 39 oil blocks where exploration is stalled, Oil Minister M. Veerappa Moily said Friday.
Beijing, Jan 30 (IANS) Chinese Super League (CSL) club Shanghai Shenhua Wednesday rejected Didier Drogba's move to Turkish side Galatasaray and labelled it "rule breaching".
Washington, Jan 30 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A US court has approved a settlement for BP to pay $4 billion in criminal penalties and plead guilty to manslaughter and other charges for its role in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sydney, Jan 30 (IANS/EFE) Bernard Tomic, Australia's top-ranked tennis player, could lose his driver's license for speeding Tuesday in his Ferrari in the resort city of Gold Coast, media reports said.
Kolkata, Jan 29 (IANS) City-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) will be doubling its capacity by the end of the next financial year, a top official of the defence establishment said Tuesday.
Rome, Jan 29 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A search is underway for a US F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet that went missing on a training flight off the coast of Italy.
Online application for Indian Coast Guard Navik (GD) Recruitment 2013 has begun. The candidates who have passed their 10+2 or secondary examination with Maths and physics as subjects can apply online for the post of Navik General Duty (GD) with Indian Coast Guard.
London, Jan 29 (IANS) Turkish football club Galatasaray have reached a deal to sign former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua, the club confirmed on their website.
Cape Town, Jan 27 (IANS) Cote d'Ivoire dimmed Tunisia's hopes of advancing in the 2013 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) after a thumping 3-0 victory.
London, Jan 26(ANI): Married footballers from top English clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool are among 40 wedded footballers, who have signed up with a dating website for married people seeking extra-marital affairs.
Tunis, Jan 23 (IANS) Tunisia's Carthage Eagles defeated Algeria 1-0 in their first match in Group D in the 2013 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa.
Los Angeles, Jan 20 (IANS) Somebody played a trick on Kim Kardashian's family by calling up police and claiming a shooter was in their house and that they heard a gun being fired.
Sydney, Jan. 20 (ANI): Australian teenage tennis star Bernard Tomic has vowed to follow Roger Federer's advice this time and work harder on his tennis over the rest of the 2013 season.
London, Jan 20 (ANI): Olympic figure skating champion Michelle Kwan married the director for strategic planning on the National Security staff at the White House, Clay Pell on Saturday at the First Unitarian Church of Providence, Rhode Island.
Kochi, Jan. 17 (ANI): Indian Coast Guard apprehended a Panama-flagged merchant ship, allegedly involved in the sinking of a fishing boat off the off kochi coast in Kerala, injuring three fishermen on Wednesday.
Kochi, Jan 17 (IANS) The crew of a Panama-flagged cargo vessel that allegedly rammed into and severely damaged a fishing boat off the Kozhikode coast Wednesday was being questioned after the ship was tracked down by the Coast Guard, officials said.
London, January 17 (ANI): The days of the year Americans are least likely to watch pornography is Christmas, a new survey has revealed.
