Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast, in English) is located on the Atlantic Ocean in West Africa. Its neighbors are Burkina Faso and Mali to the north, Ghana to the east, Guinea to the northwest, and Liberia to the southwest.

Like most African countries, Côte d'Ivoire is a cultural mosaic. Its population of 16.6 million (in 2003) comes from over sixty ethnic groups, which can be divided into four broad classifications: Akan (42%), Mandes (27%), Gur or Voltaiques

(MAP BY MARYLAND CARTOGRAPHICS/THE GALE GROUP)

(18%), and Kru (11%). Religiously, Côte d'Ivoire is a mix of Muslims (35–40%), Christians (20–35%), and followers of indigenous beliefs (30–45%). Christians live mostly in the southern regions, and Muslims occupy the northern regions. A large immigrant population (14% of the population) from Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Ghana also reinforces the multicultural character of the Ivory Coast.

The Ivorian...