Since the 1950s, CÔTE D'IVOIRE has been one of the few sub-Saharan African countries to enjoy political stability and a comparatively sound economy. Much of the credit for Côte d'Ivoire's success goes to Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the nation's most prominent politician since 1944, who methodically shaped personal and institutional controls and carefully cultivated and maintained close ties with Western industrialized countries.

The most remarkable features of modern Ivoirian history have been the development of the one-party state, which Houphouët-Boigny accomplished to assure his own autocratic rule, and economic growth. When Côte d'Ivoire gained freedom in 1960 under the leadership of Houphouët-Boigny, the new president immediately assumed strong powers as head of state, head of government, and leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire. Houphouët-Boigny's political strength derived from the nation's economic prosperity. Until the late 1970s, Côte d'Ivoire experienced enormous economic growth, based largely on agricultural exports. The benefits of economic prosperity were not equally distributed, however. Benefiting most was a bourgeoisie made up of wealthy politicians, who were often also business people and owners of prosperous coffee and cocoa plantations.