1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁though ▁it ▁went ▁through ▁an ▁economic ▁crisis ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁political ▁and ▁social ▁tur mo il . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁around ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁that ▁the ▁gross ▁domestic ▁product ▁again ▁reached ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁its ▁peak ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century , ▁the ▁I vor ian ▁economy ▁has ▁been ▁largely ▁market - based , ▁and ▁it ▁still ▁re lies ▁heavily ▁on ▁agricult ure , ▁with ▁small holder ▁c ash - c rop ▁production ▁being ▁pre domin ant . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁ ▁Origin ally , ▁Portuguese ▁and ▁French ▁merchant - expl or ers ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁and ▁ 1 6 th ▁centuries ▁divided ▁the ▁west ▁coast ▁of ▁Africa , ▁very ▁roughly , ▁into ▁four ▁" co asts " ▁reflect ing ▁local ▁econom ies . ▁The ▁coast ▁that ▁the ▁French ▁named ▁the ▁C ô te ▁d ' I vo ire ▁and ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁named ▁the ▁Costa ▁Do ▁Mar f im ▁— both , ▁literally , ▁mean ▁" Co ast ▁of ▁I v ory " — ▁lay ▁between ▁what ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Gu iné ▁de ▁Cab o ▁Ver de , ▁so - called ▁" Upper ▁Guinea " ▁at ▁Cap - Vert , ▁and ▁Lower ▁Guinea . ▁There ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁Pe pper ▁Coast , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" G rain