On This Day In TCXPI History – We Must Never Forget! Côte d’Ivoire, The Ivory Coast, Gained Independence From France. The more recent pre-colonial history of Côte d’Ivoire can be traced to the 17th century, with the establishment of the kingdom of Gyaaman. The capital, Bondoukou, became a centre for trade and Islamic scholarship. By the 18th century, a centralized political and administrative system had developed, but due to the European scramble for Africa, this system was replaced by French colonial rule in 1893. From 1904-1958, Côte d’Ivoire was incorporated into the Federation of French West Africa. French colonial policy promoted assimilation and association, so French language and customs took preference. Since the colonization of Côte d’Ivoire, Ivorians were classified as French subjects but their political rights were withheld. However, by the end of World War Two, Ivorians were recognised as French citizens and were granted the right to organize themselves politically. In 1958, Côte d’Ivoire became an autonomous country within the French community. On 7 August 1960, full independence from France had been achieved under the leadership of Félix Houphouët-Boigny. The son of a Baoulé chief, Houphouët-Boigny formed the first trade union in 1944. He was elected to the French Parliament in Paris, and became the First African minister in a European government. By 1959, he had become the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, and in 1960 was elected its first president. He governed Côte d’Ivoire until his death in 1993. Newly independent states such as Côte d’Ivoire inspired the liberation movements within South Africa during apartheid, and helped to pressurize the South African government into abandoning its policies of separate development during the latter half of the 20th century. The Ivory Coast is located in West Africa and is bordered by Liberia and Guinea to the west, Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, Ghana to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The country is approximately 200,000 square miles in size with a population of approximately 20.6 million people. Islam and Christianity are the major religions practiced by most of the population. The official language is French, but an estimated 65 languages are spoken in the country. Sources: sahistory.org.za/dated-event/c%C3%A3%C2%83%C3%A2%C2%B4te-d%C3%A3%C2%A2%C3%A2%C2%82%C2%AC%C3%A2%C2%84%C2%A2ivoire-gains-independence-france countrystudies.us/ivory-coast/3.htm
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 12:16:01 +0000
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