COSTA D'AVORIO (CÔTE D'IVOIRE). - A French colony in West Africa, bounded by Upper Volta and the Sudan, the Gold Coast, French Guinea, Liberia, and the Gulf of Guinea. It includes only a small portion of the Nigerian plateau, has a considerable but unusable hydrographic system. The coast is low, and a littoral bar formed by the sea current separates numerous lagoons from the sea. Equatorial climate, especially in the southern region.
The population is approximately 1,800,000 inhabitants, with a density of 5.6, the area being approximately 320,000 sq. km. The capital is Abidian, which is also the seat of the apostolic vicariate (v. ABIDYAN e per la carta V. AFRICA, I, col 382). The principal port is Gran Bassam, at the mouth of the Comoè River. The principal resources are timber, cassava, rice, bananas, cocoa, and cotton. Primary education is provided in schools directed by the Fathers of the African Missions.