Ivory Coast is a sovereign country in Western Africa, in the wider region of Africa. Its full official name is Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Government sits in Yamoussoukro.
The population is about 31.9 million, placing it 50th of 250 by population — between Madagascar above it and Nepal below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 5th of 17 in size and 3rd in population.
It covers 322,463 km², which ranks it 71st of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Norway and just ahead of Poland. Put next to a country most people can picture, it is almost exactly the same size as Norway.
Ivory Coast on the map
Its reference point sits at 8.0° north and 5.0° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 891 km from the equator, in what geographers would call the equatorial belt.
Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Ethiopia, Venezuela and Somalia.
Its land neighbours number 5: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Mali. The largest of them by area is Mali, while the most populous is Ghana. Together those neighbours hold about 102.8 million people.
With both a coast and land borders, it has the trade options a landlocked country does not.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Who lives in Ivory Coast
Density comes out at around 99 people per square kilometre, which makes it more crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
Officially it is monolingual: French. Another 45 entries list French too — among them Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso and Burundi.
Someone from Ivory Coast is an Ivorian.
Against Africa as a whole it is the 16th most populous of 59 entries, and it accounts for 7.0% of everyone living in Western Africa.
The practical details for Ivory Coast
Money there is the West African CFA franc (Fr, XOF). Another 7 entries use the same currency — Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Niger among them — so exchange rates move for reasons that have nothing to do with Ivory Coast.
If a quiz asks for the capital of Ivory Coast, the answer is Yamoussoukro.
Websites there use the .ci domain. To phone it from abroad you dial +225. Standard country codes: ci and CIV.
Ivory Coast is one of the 193 UN member states in this dataset. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Ivory Coast shares borders with 5 countries:
Fun facts about Ivory Coast
- It lies about 891 km from the equator, in equatorial latitudes.
- Ranked by land area, Ivory Coast is 71st out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- People from Ivory Coast are known as Ivorians.
- Its full official name is Republic of Côte d'Ivoire.
- Websites based there use the .ci domain.
- Within Western Africa it is the 5th largest of 17.
- Ethiopia and Venezuela sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- In land area it is almost exactly the same size as Norway.
Ivory Coast — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Ivory Coast?
- The capital of Ivory Coast is Yamoussoukro.
- What language is spoken in Ivory Coast?
- The official language of Ivory Coast is French. It is also official in 45 other entries on this list.
- What is the population of Ivory Coast?
- Ivory Coast has a population of about 31.9 million, which makes it the 50th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Madagascar sits just above it and Nepal just below.
- Is Ivory Coast a country?
- Yes. Ivory Coast is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Which countries border Ivory Coast?
- Ivory Coast borders 5 countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Mali. Mali is the largest of them by area.
- Where is Ivory Coast located?
- Ivory Coast is in Western Africa, part of Africa. Its reference coordinates are 8.0° north and 5.0° west, roughly 891 km from the equator in equatorial latitudes.
- What currency does Ivory Coast use?
- Ivory Coast uses the West African CFA franc, written Fr (currency code XOF). It is shared with 7 other entries.
- How big is Ivory Coast?
- Ivory Coast covers 322,463 km², ranking 71st of 250 by land area. That makes it almost exactly the same size as Norway.
