▁ancest ry . ▁Many ▁are ▁French , ▁Leb an ese , ▁Vietnam ese ▁and ▁Spanish ▁citizens , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁evangel ical ▁mission aries ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Canada . ▁In ▁November ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁around ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁French ▁and ▁other ▁foreign ▁national s ▁ev acu ated ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁due ▁to ▁attacks ▁from ▁pro - g overn ment ▁youth ▁milit ias . ▁As ide ▁from ▁French ▁national s , ▁native - born ▁descend ants ▁of ▁French ▁sett lers ▁who ▁arrived ▁during ▁the ▁country ' s ▁colonial ▁period ▁are ▁present . ▁ ▁L arg est ▁cities ▁ ▁Religion ▁▁ ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁is ▁a ▁religious ly ▁diverse ▁country , ▁in ▁which ▁ad her ents ▁of ▁Islam ▁( most ly ▁Sun ni ) ▁represented ▁ 4 2 . 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁population ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁while ▁follow ers ▁of ▁Christian ity ▁( most ly ▁Catholic ▁and ▁Evangel ical ) ▁represented ▁ 3 3 . 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁population . ▁In ▁addition ▁ 1 9 . 1 % ▁of ▁I v ori ans ▁claimed ▁to ▁be ▁ir rel ig ious , ▁and ▁ 3 . 6 % ▁reported ▁following ▁traditional ▁African ▁relig ions . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁according ▁to ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁State ▁estimates , ▁Christians ▁and ▁Muslim s ▁each ▁made ▁up ▁ 3 5 ▁to ▁ 4 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁population , ▁while ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 2 5