Côte d'Ivoire is a country in Africa, in West Africa, with about 32.7 million people (2025) and an area of 322,460 square kilometres. It names 2 capitals, Yamoussoukro and Abidjan, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of Côte d'IvoireCôte d'Ivoire in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
Key facts about Côte d'Ivoire
Capitals
Yamoussoukro and AbidjanYamoussoukro is the official capital; Abidjan is the seat of government and largest city.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Côte d'Ivoire's 17, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 17
A coastline that shaped an entire economy
Côte d'Ivoire sits on West Africa's southern coast, bordered by Liberia and Guinea to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, and Ghana to the east. Its 550 kilometers of Atlantic coastline opened the interior to European traders; the name Ivory Coast records what they sought. Terrain rises from coastal lagoons and rain forest to drier northern savanna, dividing its agricultural zones. Abidjan, the commercial capital, sits on the Ébrié Lagoon; Yamoussoukro, political capital since 1983, lies inland on the central plateau.
More on Ébrié Lagoon
The Vridi Canal, cut in 1950, connected the lagoon to the Atlantic and turned Abidjan into one of West Africa's busiest ports.
16 more lenses on Côte d'Ivoire in the app
PLACE A dome above the palm groves of Yamoussoukro
STORY The country that feeds the world's chocolate habit
STORY A crisis over who belongs
NOW West Africa's quiet economic engine
THREAD The cocoa corridor that binds West Africa together
NOW Abidjan courts investors while the Sahel unravels
PLACE Cocoa coast of West Africa
STORY The plea that paused a war
NOW Champions at home, then a first knockout round
THREAD Exporting players to Europe
PLACE A divided geography healed
STORY The Elephants of West Africa
NOW Abidjan, an African metropolis
THREAD Neighbors and rivals on the coast
THREAD The nut that leaves whole and returns shelled
PLACE A rainforest that mostly no longer exists
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Common questions
What is the capital of Côte d'Ivoire?
Côte d'Ivoire names 2 capitals: Yamoussoukro and Abidjan. Yamoussoukro is the official capital; Abidjan is the seat of government and largest city. Yamoussoukro lies at about 6.8 degrees north and 5.3 degrees west. Côte d'Ivoire is in Africa, in the region often called West Africa.
What is the population of Côte d'Ivoire?
About 32.7 million people live in Côte d'Ivoire, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 50th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 322,460 square kilometres, that is about 101 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Côte d'Ivoire?
Côte d'Ivoire shares land borders with 5 countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia and Mali. The map on this page outlines each of them around Côte d'Ivoire. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake.
How big is Côte d'Ivoire?
Côte d'Ivoire covers 322,460 square kilometres, or about 124,502 square miles. That makes it the 68th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 32.7 million gives a density of 101 people per square kilometre.
Côte d'Ivoire is a country in Africa, in West Africa, with about 32.7 million people (2025) and an area of 322,460 square kilometres. It names 2 capitals, Yamoussoukro and Abidjan, and it shares land borders with 5 countries.
Capitals
Yamoussoukro and AbidjanYamoussoukro is the official capital; Abidjan is the seat of government and largest city.
Continent
Africa
Region
West Africa
Population
32,711,547 2025, World Bank. 50th of 195.
Area
322,460 km² (124,502 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 68th largest of 195.
Population density
101 people per km²
Land neighbours
5: Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali
Official name
Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
A coastline that shaped an entire economy
Côte d'Ivoire sits on West Africa's southern coast, bordered by Liberia and Guinea to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, and Ghana to the east. Its 550 kilometers of Atlantic coastline opened the interior to European traders; the name Ivory Coast records what they sought. Terrain rises from coastal lagoons and rain forest to drier northern savanna, dividing its agricultural zones. Abidjan, the commercial capital, sits on the Ébrié Lagoon; Yamoussoukro, political capital since 1983, lies inland on the central plateau.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/cote-divoire/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Côte d'Ivoire
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Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/cote-divoire/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
