The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (ˌkoʊt dɪˈvwɑr; French: [kot diˈvwaʁ]) is a country in West Africa. It is commonly known in English as Ivory Coast (ˌaɪvəri ˈkoʊst). It has an area of 322,462 square kilometres (124,503 sq mi), and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be 20,617,068 in 2009.] Côte d'Ivoire's first national census in 1975 counted 6.7 million inhabitants.

Prior to its colonization by Europeans, Côte d'Ivoire was home to several states, including Gyaaman, the Kong Empire, and Baoulé. There were two Anyi kingdoms, Indénié and Sanwi, which attempted to retain their separate identity through the French colonial period and after Côte d'Ivoire's independence. An 1843–1844 treaty made Côte d'Ivoire a "protectorate" of France and in 1893, it became a French colony as part of the European scramble for Africa.