Population: 16,393,221

Languages: French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken

Background: 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 tropical African states. Falling cocoa prices and political turmoil...

Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF, No information)

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.