Ivory Coast also known as Republic of Côte d’Ivoire is a country situated in West Africa having its borders with Mali, Ghana, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Liberia. Yamoussoukro is the political capital while Abidjan is the economic Capital and the largest city of the country.
Elephant is the national animal of Ivory Coast as it plays an important role for their nation symbolically. Earlier, elephant was the major source of Ivory all over; Therefore, Ivory was even included in the name of the country “Ivory Coast”. There are countless languages spoken in Ivory Coast but official language of the country is French. Major religions of the country are Islam and Christianity. The country is famous for its beautiful cultural, religious and ethnic harmony.
WORLD’S TOP COCOA PRODUCER:
Ivory Coast is listed at the top of the leading cocoa producers of the world. There is a saying that every chocolate bar that is exported internationally, consist of at least 10% of cocoa from Ivory Coast.
HOME TOWN OF WORLD FAMOUS SOCCER PLAYER – DIDIER DROGBA:
The famous soccer player Didier Drogba, was born in Abidjan. The man who captained the National Football Team for 8 years. His consistent performances and habit of scoring goals at different platforms always made his fans excited.
He is best known for his career at Chelsea, for whom he has scored more goals than any other foreign player. He retired as the nation’s all-time top goal scorer.
THE CITY OF MAN: (LES CASCADES DE MAN):
The city of Man is an eye-catching attraction located in the setting of greenery all over with beautiful rivers and magnificent waterfalls. This city is also famous as “The City of 18 Mountains” because of the beautiful mountains in the city; which provides a mesmerizing view. Countless visitors come this place to enjoy the waterfalls along with the natural beauty while locals come here every weekend for swimming and relaxation.
BANCO NATIONAL PARK:
The famous Banco National Park of Ivory Coast lies in the North of the city of Abidjan. Banco National Park provides protection to flora and fauna both. We can also witness beautiful African civet, genet, bushbuck, duiker, and monkeys roaming in the park. It is one of the natural attraction in Ivory Coast which should be visited at least once.
IVORIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS
Arts and crafts are considered as major part of Ivorian Culture. This diverse cultural heritage has passed down through generations. It includes wooden or bronze sculptures along with pottery work.
Beautiful work including vases, jars, flowerpots, soup tureens, jewelry boxes, ashtrays, musical instruments and variety of containers in diverse shapes and sizes for decorative requirements.
ACCORDING TO THE NATIVE BARON JERRO FROM IVORY COAST:
ONE OF THE LARGEST CHURCHES IN THE WORLD:
Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro Basilica located in Yamoussoukro, is considered as one of the largest Churches in the world. The beauty and architecture of the Church makes it an eye-catching attraction for the tourists. It is highly recommended to visit this beautiful place when you plan to visit Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast.
LIANA BRIDGE:
Liana Bridge is a specific cultural heritage that plays a vital role in communication between communities living in the region. This beautiful bridge is located in Yacouba. There are many legends about this bridge. one of them narrates that:
“There was a deep River that separates the village from the farms. So it was a serious problem for the farmers. So they decided to ask help from aliens. And then, when they went in the forest and asked, the following day they came back and saw that bridge appeared miraculously.”
GARBA:
Garba is one of the popular meals among the locals of Ivory Coast. This fish consists of fried pieces of tuna with chopped onions, tomatoes and fresh peppers, made in cooking oil. Garba is one of the affordable meals for almost everyone.
ALLOCO:
Alloco is an Ivorian fried plantain snack often served with chili pepper, onions or egg, and tomato sauce. This dish is very popular in the Ivory Coast and a must try dish.
NOTE: We are thankful to the following for the research work.
https://www.ivorycoastimmigration.org/news/the-best-ivory-coast-handicrafts-to-bring-back-home
https://www.britannica.com/place/Yamoussoukro
https://www.travelcotedivoire.com/places-to-visit/the-liana-bridges/
https://mosqpedia.org/en/mosque/1458
https://govolunteerafrica.org/12-curious-things-you-never-knew-about-ivory-coast/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banco_National_Park
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Our_Lady_of_Peace
Nice work….
I loved to read about Didier Drogba
I love Ivory Coast.. It is a nice place to visit.