Côte d'Ivoire

How is the land laid out?

The broad coastal plain of Côte d'Ivoire¹ is forested inland; the shore belt has a mix of sandy beaches and lagoons. Further north the land rises to a plateau of grass and some trees. There are low mountains in the west and northwest, such as the Mountains of Toura and, on the border, the Nimba Range.

The Cavally² flows south from the Nimbas on or near the Liberian border. The Sassandra flows south from the northwest highlands and passes just east of the Touras. It is dammed above Buyo to form the nation's second largest lake. The biggest one is the Lake of Kossou,³ in the country's center, formed by the confluence of the Blanc and Rouge⁴ Bandama rivers. Further east the Komoé⁵ flows south from the southwest corner of Burkina Faso. Last of the south-flowing rivers are two rivers that flow into the Aby Lagoon in the nation's southeast: the Bia and the Tano. The northwest of the Ivory Coast is drained by north-flowing tributaries of the Bani--part of the Niger system. The Noire (Black) Volta flows along the northeastern border.

There are three UNESCO World Heritage sites that recognize nature: Comoé National Park; Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, which is partially in Guinée;⁶ and Taï National Park. Then two national parks are also tourist attractions.⁷

Map

Who lives there?

No-one first language amounts to a majority of the 19.6 million people. Together the Atlantic-Congo group accounts for more than two-thirds; exactly how much more is difficult to say due to the millions of immigrants from neighboring countries.⁸ The most important languages are: Baule,⁹ with millions of speakers; Dan,¹⁰ with around a million; and Cebaara Senoufo, with similar numbers. Dyula¹¹ is a minor first language but an important second language in the north and along trade routes. French is used in government.

The majority practice local traditional religions. These are described as animist due to the belief that spirits are associated with places or deceased ancestors, and that these spirits are relevant to happenings in the material world. Thus the Baule think many adults have a spouse from the blolo (the beyond) who can influence their lives, and--among the Senoufo--blacksmiths are thought exempt from evil spirits and thus play key funerary roles. Aspects of these religions can be glimpsed from artifacts and ceremonies. The masks of the Dan are consulted to forecast events like harvest yield. The Baule's kplekple mask is said to represent a forest demon, and the Senufo's fire-spitter helmet mask is said to memorialize the primeval chaos. The spiritual content of juggling young girls can be seen, less from the spectacle, than from the elaborate preparation of the children. And the stilt dancing--also practiced by the Dan--is said to be guided by spirits.

Around one in four citizens are Moslems: mostly in the north and among traders and weavers elsewhere. Christians, mostly Roman Catholics, amount to more than one in ten.

Cities include Abidjan, and several cities that are tourist destinations:¹² Bouaké (population 572 thousand,¹³ metropolitan population 720 thousand¹⁴), located east of Lake Kossou; Man (population 140 thousand¹³), located in the west center and famed for its waterfall; San-Pédro (population 196 thousand¹³), located on the southwest coast; Yamoussoukro (population 201 thousand¹³), located southeast of Lake Kossouu; and Korhogo (population 172 thousand¹³), located in the north-center.

Who was there before?

The Baoule preserve a tradition of migrating from Ghana in 1750. The Kru groups are said to have come from the west about 1600. Dyula is an offshoot of Mandekan, the language of the former Mali Empire. Its prestige assisted it to become the lingua franca of local traders, spreading Islam with it. The Senoufo are also said to have migrated from the north. The French conquered the area starting in the 1840s, introducing Roman Catholic Christianity. The long-ruling dictator, Houphouet-Boigny retained favor for the colonial language and religion.

Around the Area

north, from the northwest
north, from the northeast
east
south
west, from the southwest
west, from the northwest

Footnotes

1. Ivory Coast. The government has forbidden its translation into English.
2. Also called the Cavalla, or by its tributary's names: the Douobe or Dube.
3. Also called the Blanc (white) Bandama, after the river.
4. White and Red in English.
5. Also spelled Comoé.
6. Guinea in English.
7. https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-ivory-coast/, accessed February 14, 2018.
8. Some of the 'immigrants' are child-slaves, abducted or lured, working the cocoa plantations. Their precarious status and short lives makes linguistic and religious information about them sparse.
9. Also called Baoule, and including Anyin and Nzema. It is also an important second language.
10. Or Yacouba.
11. Or Jula or Dioula.
12. https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-ivory-coast/, accessed February 14, 2018.
13. 2005 figures from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Ivory_Coast, accessed February 14, 2018.
14. 2017 figure from http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf, downloaded February 14, 2018.