The Republic of Cote d’Ivoire is a tropical country in southern West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea bordered by Mali and Burkina Faso in the north, in the west by Liberia and Guinea, and in the east by Ghana. This beautiful State covers an area of 322,463 km² and has a population of 22.7 million inhabitants in 2015. Yamoussoukro is the capital city of The Republic of Cote d’Ivoire and Abidjan is the largest city and de facto capital. Economically, Cote d'Ivoire is heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly 68% of the population. Cote d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. The country is also very rich in natural resources such as petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower. 

Since its 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. The southern and western parts of the country are forested, with undulating countryside rising to meet the savannah plains of the north and the mountainous western border. Three rivers, the Sassandra, the Bandama and the Comoé, run directly north-south and, on their approach to the coast, flow into a series of lagoons. Birdlife is plentiful throughout the country, but particularly so near the coast.