Côte d'Ivoire republic in western Africa, bordered on the north by Mali and Burkina Faso, on the east by Ghana, on the south by the Gulf of Guinea, and on the west by Liberia and Guinea. A former French colony, Côte d'Ivoire became independent on August 7, 1960. The nation was initially officially known as either Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast; from January 1, 1986, Côte d'Ivoire became the sole official name. The nation has an area of 322,464 sq km. The capital of Côte d'Ivoire is Yamoussoukro.