This continent contains many separate countries each with its own unique people, speaking different languages, and living in different environments. The Ivory Coast is one of the countries on the west coast of Africa. It has approximately the same area as the state of New Mexico, but has almost seven times as many people. The name Ivory Coast was given to this area by French sailors in the late 1400s when they traded for ivory there. It became a French colony in 1893 and gained its independence in 1960.
Most people are farmers and live in villages.
Coffee is the main crop and the second in importance is cacao seeds, the seeds from which chocolate and cocoa are made. The people in the villages live in huts that are grouped into compounds. The huts have mud walls and thatched or metal roofs. Cooking is usually done by the women in the yard. Most inhabitants of the Ivory Coast continue to practice their ancient local religions, and the people who have moved into the cities keep close ties with their families in the villages.