Country Profile

Ethnically, linguistically and religiously diverse, Côte d’Ivoire is a West African nation with a rich culture. Once one of the continent’s leading economic powerhouses, the country was afflicted by civil war for much of the past 10 years. However, peace has largely prevailed since April 2011, and the nation is now looking to reclaim its former glory. The country benefits from a wide range of commodities that have helped underwrite its growth. Agriculture is a key economic sector, with cocoa being the most important crop and Côte d’Ivoire the largest producer globally. The country is also a minor net exporter of crude oil with proven reserves of around 100m barrels, the 64th-largest in the world. This chapter contains a viewpoint from President Alassane Dramane Ouattara and interviews with Marcel de Souza, President, Commission of ECOWAS; Pankaj Patel, President, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry; Carlos Lopes, Professor, University of Cape Town, and Visiting Fellow, Oxford Martin School.