ABOUT Cote d’Ivoire

About Our Country


Republic of Côte d'Ivoire

For every one in Japan, Côte d’Ivoire is probably still a distant country. Therefore, I would like to introduce our country.

The national anthem of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire contains the words ‘Land of Hospitality’. One of the things we are proud of in our country is the kindness of our people. Many people are cheerful and can easily make friends with anyone, even if they don’t speak the same language. We gather in each other’s house to eat, sing and dance together. Yes, everyone loves football. When we win the championship, that day is declared a national public holiday.

Superb beach, Asini

Not only the people but also the climate is warm all year round, with an average temperature of 28 degrees. It is full of nature, with beautiful seas, white coasts and rich forests. Four national parks are also World Heritage Sites, and you can also see wild animals on safari.

Interact with lots of animals on safari

In terms of economy, the cacao industry (the production volume of cacao is the largest in the world!) Agricultural businesses and resource export industries such as oil, gas, gold, and rare metals are flourishing, and the GDP is one of the largest in Africa. Abidjan, the largest city in Côte d'Ivoire, is called the Manhattan of Africa and is full of life. Wi-Fi is also available almost everywhere, and it is famous as a country in Africa where there are no power outages.

Abidjan called Manhattan in Africa

The official language is French, but there are many people who can speak English, and I hope that more people will visit from Japan. There are many things to see, such as World Heritage Sites (Grand Bassam), great nature (Thai National Park), and Basilica Cathedral in Yamoussoukro.

The world's largest church, the Basilica

Atcheke (cassava potato couscous, eaten with fish) is the popular food. There are many unique dishes, such as fufu (pounded yam or plantain), sauce fren (coconut paste), peanut curry and fried bananas.

  • Official name
    Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
  • President
    Alassane Ouattara
  • Population
    Approx. 26.38 million (2020)
  • Capital
    Yamoussoukro
  • Ethnic groups
    A total of 60 tribes coexist, including Jura, Akan, Saenupho, Baule, Apollo, Gro, Gung, Aceh, Bete, Guerre, and others.
  • Languages
    French (official language), national dialects (Jura is the mainstream)
  • Religion
    Islam 30%, Christianity 30%, traditional religion 20%, others 20%
  • Area
    322,436㎢ (approx. 0.9 times Japan 378,000㎢)
  • Visa
    Required
  • Passport
    At least 6 months at the time of application, at least 1 page
  • currency
    Franc CFA (XOF) 1XOF = 0.21 yen *As of July 2022
  • Electricity and voltage
    220V-50Hz:B/B3/C
  • national flag
    Three words correspond to the national motto "unity, discipline, and labor". Orange means northern savannah, green means southern virgin forest, and white signifies the unity of the two regions.
  • climate
    The average temperature is 28°C and the humidity is over 60%. June ~ July is the heavy rain season, October ~ November is the light rain season, and the number of rainy days per year reaches 140 days. August ~ September is relatively easy to overcome, and in December ~ February, dust and halmatan from the Sahara Desert arrive. The central part of the coast is slightly less humid. The northern part is a plateau-like mountain range of 600 ~ 1700 m, and it has a savanna climate under the influence of the Saharan climate.
  • Access
    There are no direct flights from Japan to Côte d'Ivoire. Major airlines include Emirates, Air France and Qatar Airways, which connect in Europe and the Middle East to enter Abidjan International Airport. The flight time is 20~22 hours even if it is early.