Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style

What was Côte d’Ivoire formerly known as?

Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The western African country of Côte d’Ivoire was for many years widely known as Ivory Coast, which is the English translation of the country’s name. The country had been a French colony until it gained independence as Côte d’Ivoire in 1960, and French is the country’s official language. In October 1985, the Ivorian government decreed that the country’s name should be rendered as Côte d’Ivoire in every language. However, Ivory Coast is still widely used to refer to the country.