Côte d''Ivoire Ivory Coast Country Profile Nations ...
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 West 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.