Borders of a Nation

The boarders of Ivory Coast have been set by two major factors- Geography and European powers. Before Africa was parcels off by the European powers the area encompassed by  Ivory Coast was host to 66 people and language groups. The languages all had major similarities and are believed to be from the same root family; however the mountains, jungle, and rivers kept travel over the centuries to a minimum which allowed for such diversity within such a small region.

Compared to the other nations along the coast of north West Africa, Cote d’Ivoire is quite large actually. To the west along the coast and separated by the Cavalla and Cess rivers is Liberia, which was occupied for a time by the United States and thus had English influences. To the East is Ghana which was a British Colony. Guinea on its North West and Mali on its center north and Burkina Faso along the east portion bordered much of the way by the Black Volta River was also French territories. Mali was quite different being so rooted in the Islamic culture. The north border is drawn a great deal along mountain ranges.

For much of Ivory Coasts history since independence Africans from other nations have sought refuge within its borders due to its relative economic and political stability. This changed for a period following the civil unrest in the early 2000s through 2012. Liberia and Ghana were over run with refugees, both unable to handle the crisis nor able to supply their own resources sufficiently to employ or care for such population influxes. As the government stabilized joint meetings with the bordering nations took place to ensure both sides were confident in their national security and trade interests. Only last year Ivory Coast took the unpopular but understandable position of closing all of its land borders during the Ebola out break in an attempt to prevent its entering the nation. Considering the poor state of the nation’s health infrastructure this plague would have been devastating if it had broken out as it did in many other African nations.

Liberia, Ivory Coast Plan Border Meeting July. All Africa. April 30^th, 2015. Accessed June 24^th, 2015.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201504301471.html

Holland, Leslie. Ivory Coast closing border due to Ebola outbreak. CNN. Augustus 25^th, 2014. Accessed June 23, 2015.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/23/world/africa/ebola-outbreak/

Dosso, Zoom. Liberia struggles with violence along insecure Ivory Coast border. AFP-Yahoo! News. May 24^th, 2015. Accessed June 23^rd, 2015.

http://news.yahoo.com/liberia-struggles-violence-along-insecure-ivory-coast-border-093208776.html

 country operations profile – Cote d’Ivoire. UNHCR Global Appeal 2015 update. Accessed June 23^rd, 2015.

http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e484016.html

CBLOMBAUM. Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire the Great Maritime Boundary Battle. Guardian Global Resources- West Africa. October 7, 2014. Accessed June 23^rd, 2015.

http://ggrwestafrica.com/2014/10/07/ghana-cote-divoire-and-the-great-maritime-boundary-battle/

Kaplin, Seth. Cote d’Ivoire’s Ethnic, Religious, and Geographic Division. Fragile States. Accesed June 23^rd, 2015

http://www.fragilestates.org/2012/06/06/cote-divoire-ethnic-division/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cote-divoire-ethnic-division

Missoins

While African traditional religions still dominate Cote d’Ivoire’s religious landscape, it has become ever more diverse since colonial days. Before the Dutch arrived the only missionaries to the area were Muslim who came to the area with traders from the north east of Africa. While many nations in Africa had embraced Islamic beliefs almost in entirety, the local beliefs proved much more tight nit than many others. Today it is estimated between thirty to forty percent of the populations are followers of the profit Mohammed.

Christianty arrived in the region were Catholic missionaries in 1637. This was shortly after the French took control of the area. The mission set up by this first group was short lived, but later missions did take hold but not till 1843 when great colonial interest in the region propelled missionaries and traders to the region in increased number. Though Catholicism’s portion of the population is much smaller than other religious groups  the nation has the worlds largest worlds largest cathedral- the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro the nations capital. This was not built by missionaries or even commissioned by the church, but was a pet project of former president of Cote d’Ivoire Félix Houphouët-Boigny.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/ivory-coast/yamoussoukro-basilica-of-our-lady-of-peace

Because the French were predominantly Catholic, protestant missionaries did not find a very welcoming environment in the ports of Ivory Coast. They did not establish missions in the country until Methodists arrived in 1924. They were followed by all types and colors of evangelical denominations. After independence in 1960 however a door closed to most foreign missionaries. Some found entrence to the region only for a day or two at a time by crossing the boarders to witness and minister to established churches. All of a sudden in 1975 missionary visa’s started being permitted as many mission boards list this year as their first entrance into Cote d’Ivoire.

There are small presences of other religions like Buddhism and Bahia, through missionary efforts to the region, primarily in the large cities of Abidjan and the capital. The largest obstacle modern missionaries have had to overcome has been the unrest result from the regions civil wars. These political upheavals have caused many missionaries to leave the region suddenly, and the current number of protestant missionaries in some denominations is much smaller due to fear of its repeating.

Ivory Coast. Baptist Mid-Missions. 2015. Accessed June 15, 2015.

https://www.bmm.org/country/ivory-coast/

Côte d'Ivoire. SIM. 2015. Accessed June 16, 2015.

http://www.sim.org/index.php/country/ci

Ivory Coast. Baptist International Missions, Inc. 1997. Accessed June 16, 2015

http://www.bimi.org/countries/ivorycoast.php

Lewis, Martin. Religious Complexity in Ivory Coast. GeoCurrents. April 26, 2011. Accessed June 15, 2015

http://www.geocurrents.info/cultural-geography/religious-complexity-in-ivory-coast

Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, Yamoussoukro. Sacred Destinations. 2015. Accessed June 16, 2015.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/ivory-coast/yamoussoukro-basilica-of-our-lady-of-peace

First Contacts

During the Roman times along the gold trade routs items made their way through Ivory Coast to Ghana and up to the north African coast. However, during this time it is unlikely many European traders ventured this deeply into Africa and instead preferred African merchants to transit this part for them. Even during the Arab invasions very few Arabs came along the Silk Road into Cote d’Ivoire. Those who did were Mediterranean traders and Islamic Clerics seeking converts. They were so far away the Ottoman and preceding Arab empires had limited yet long lasting affects on the area.

During the 1500’s when trade began to pick up substantially along the West African coast one Ivory Coast location stood out in importance - Abidjon’s  deep harbor. Cote d’Ivoire has few ports, so those that were navigable by Europe’s larger vessels grew into influential trade centers. Even with this deep harbor the Europeans settlements were first established in neighboring Ghana and only later in Cote d’Ivoire. During this time the pulling of trade from Ivory Coast to Ghana began.

The first Europeans to visit the coast were naturally the Portuguese as they sailed along and mapped the entire coastline. Limited trade might have been established at this point; however few if any outposts were established permanently within the Ivory Coast Region. During the 1500s Dutch and French ships traded on occasion in the region, however they still preferred the more plenteous harbors of Ghana. In 1657 the French Catholics started their first mission along the coast. The missions and eventual French trade inland spread the colonial influence and French language through the region. It was not until the mid 1800s that treaties were signed with local kings establishing French as the official head of the nation. Ivory Coast was a valuable territory to the French, however the cost of both World War I and II motivated them to place French loyal leaders in place and grant independence in 1960 on August 7th.

Compared to many neighboring nations Cote d’Ivoire experience many decades of peace and prosperity due to a stable government. Today many of the new comers are immigrant workers from other African nations seeking the higher pay and more readily available food and water resources.

Arrival of the Europeans, and History. Ivory Coast Table of Contents. Accessed June 10th 2015.

http://countrystudies.us/ivory-coast/5.htm

http://countrystudies.us/ivory-coast/3.htm

Logran & Fraise. The Coming of Age in the Ivory Coast. Ethics of Development in a Global Environment. July 29th, 1999. Accessed June 9th 2015.

http://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/war_peace/africa/hage.html

Cote d’Ivoire. SIM. 2015. Accessed June 9th, 2015

http://www.sim.org/index.php/country/ci

Hill, Margari. The Spread of Islam in West Africa: Containment, Mixing, and Reform from the Eighth to the Twentieth Century. Stanford Univercity. January 2009. Accessed June 8th, 2015

http://spice.fsi.stanford.edu/docs/the_spread_of_islam_in_west_africa_containment_mixing_and_reform_from_the_eighth_to_the_twentieth_century

Handloff, Robert. The West Sudanic Empires. Cote d”ivoire/Ivory Coast: a Country Study. 1988. Accessed June 9th 2015

http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/WestSu

Economics

Some of my early college course work involved economics. Though I took it with the intention of studying business, it really opened my eyes to why certain things in history happened the way they did. Cote d'Ivoire has a rich economic history utilizing its natural resources, peoples skills, and international trade.



The primary industry in Ivory Coast is agriculture. This would be the oldest industry in the region as the ancestors were hunters and gatherers. As time went by cattle and poultry were domesticated and plants selected to grow. Along the rivers and the oceans coast fish are still harvested. 3 out of every 5 Ivoirian's work in the agriculture field. Local plants like yams, grains like maze and rice and vegetables help feed the nation. Though the jungle is much depleted, there is still a logging industry which fuels local wood crafts as well as the making of farm implements. The primary national crop is cocoa.

http://www.commodityonline.com/news/

Cote d’Ivoire is the world’s largest cocoa grower. Cocoa is the main ingredient in our beloved chocolate, has seen unprecedented increase in demand particularly in China and South East Asia as their middle classes have grown. The cocoa industry has been rocked in the past by its sensitivity to server weather patterns and the civil and political unrest which have affected Cote d’Ivoire off and on since 1999. Interestingly, the cocoa plant is not indigenous to Africa, but was brought over by traders from South America and the Caribbean much like the potatoes of Ireland.

http://foodmuseum.typepad.com/food_museum_blog/food__politics/

Before cocoa was king the Slave trade took its tool upon the people. The primary slave trade routs pulled directly through Ivory Coast to Ghana to the new world. Before that during the time or the Arab invasions they pulled north east wards through the desserts. Later as European colonization took place plantations were built  many Africans were enslaved in the region itself. There is still a presence of slave and forced child labor within Cote d’Ivoire which corrupt government officials have turned a blind eye to.

Another major trade rout of the region was the Gold trade rout. During the hay day of the industry gold was traded to Rome and Egypt and beyond. And lest we forget the name of the land, Ivory! The great African Elephants lent their tusks to the royal halls and yester year. Unfortunately, the African Elephants population is depleted to the point where it is not healthy for the population to be harvested even for artistic and religious purposes.

https://animalonstamps.wordpress.com/category/ivory-coast/


Ivory Coast cocoa returning


Anonymous, Ivory Coast cocoa returning. Edmonton Journal. April 14th 2011.Postmedia Network. April 14th. 2011. Accessed June 2, 2015


www.liberty.edu.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/862262262?accountid=12085


Ivory Coast Cocoa Crop. New York Times (1923-Current file) 16 Sep 1985. Accessed June 3rd, 2015


http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/docview/111234945/pageviewPDF/3BEE9ED91E5B410FPQ/1?accountid=12085


Kindersle, Dorling. Fincial Times World Desk Reference- Ivory coast. 2011. Accessed June 2nd , 2015


http://www.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://literati.credoreference.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/content/entry/dkwdr/ivory_coast/0


Antiquities Department United Nations. The Central Slave and Ivory Trade Route. © UNESCO World Heritage Centre 1992-2015. Accessed June 3rd, 2015


http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/2095/


Ivory Coast. (2008). In Philip's world factbook 2008-2009. London, United Kingdom: Philip's. Accessed June 2nd, 2015


http://www.liberty.edu:2048/login?url=http://literati.credoreference.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu:2048/content/entry/philipswfb/ivory_coast/0

Reader, John. A Biography of the Continent Africa. 1997. Vintage Books.