Today is Independence Day, a public holiday in Côte d’Ivoire. This is the National Day of Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and commemorates full independence from France on this day in 1960. Before the colonial age, most European contact with this part of West Africa was for trade in elephant ivory, which is how the region got its name.
In 1843, the French first established a protectorate over a few kingdoms in the region. With the so-called ‘Scramble for Africa’ at the end of the nineteenth century, Ivory Coast became a French colony in 1908, though local resistance to the European invaders was not quashed until 1915.
In 1946 with the establishment of the Fourth French Republic, Ivory Coast became an overseas territory of France with its own parliament and representation in the French national assembly.
In 1958, Ivory Coast became a self-governing autonomous republic within the French Community.
On July 11th 1960 France agreed to Ivory Coast becoming fully independent. Ivory Coast gained its full independence on August 7th 1960, with Félix Houphouët-Boigny becoming Ivory Coast’s first president. Ivory Coast has one of the fastest-growing economies in West Africa. The city of Abidjan is one of the most modern and livable cities in the region.
Pre-Backpack Era
Clint…
makes sense…
SIGNZ
Today is the birthday, in 1960, of Jacqui O’Sullivan, singer who joined British female pop group Bananarama in 1988. She sang on the hits ‘I Want You Back’ and ‘Nathan Jones’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4-1ASpdT1Y
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