▁Before ▁its ▁colon ization ▁by ▁Europe ans , ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁was ▁home ▁to ▁several ▁states , ▁including ▁G ya aman , ▁the ▁Kong ▁Empire ▁and ▁Ba oul é . ▁The ▁area ▁became ▁a ▁prote ctor ate ▁of ▁France ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 3 ▁and ▁was ▁cons olid ated ▁as ▁a ▁French ▁col ony ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁amid ▁the ▁European ▁sc ram ble ▁for ▁Africa . ▁It ▁achieved ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁led ▁by ▁F éli x ▁Hou ph ou ë t - Bo igny , ▁who ▁ruled ▁the ▁country ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁Rel atively ▁stable ▁by ▁regional ▁standards , ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁established ▁close ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁t ies ▁with ▁its ▁West ▁African ▁neighb ors ▁while ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁maintain ing ▁close ▁relations ▁to ▁the ▁West , ▁especially ▁France . ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁experienced ▁a ▁coup ▁d ' état ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁and ▁two ▁religious ly - ground ed ▁civil ▁wars , ▁first ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁and ▁again ▁during ▁ 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁country ▁adopted ▁a ▁new ▁constitution . ▁ ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁is ▁a ▁republic ▁with ▁strong ▁executive ▁power ▁v ested ▁in ▁its ▁president . ▁Through ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁coffee ▁and ▁c ocoa , ▁the ▁country ▁was ▁an ▁economic ▁power house ▁in ▁West ▁Africa ▁during ▁the ▁