. ▁ ▁The ▁coast line ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁state ▁is ▁not ▁quite ▁cot erm in ous ▁with ▁what ▁the ▁ 1 5 th - ▁and ▁ 1 6 th - century ▁mer ch ants ▁knew ▁as ▁the ▁" Te eth " ▁or ▁" I v ory " ▁coast , ▁which ▁was ▁considered ▁to ▁stretch ▁from ▁Cape ▁Pal mas ▁to ▁Cape ▁Three ▁Point s ▁and ▁which ▁is ▁thus ▁now ▁divided ▁between ▁the ▁modern ▁states ▁of ▁Gh ana ▁and ▁I v ory ▁Coast ▁( with ▁a ▁minute ▁portion ▁of ▁Liber ia ). ▁It ▁retained ▁the ▁name ▁through ▁French ▁rule ▁and ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁The ▁name ▁had ▁long ▁since ▁been ▁translated ▁literally ▁into ▁other ▁languages , ▁which ▁the ▁post - in dep end ence ▁government ▁considered ▁increasing ly ▁troubles ome ▁whenever ▁its ▁international ▁deal ings ▁extended ▁beyond ▁the ▁Franc oph one ▁sphere . ▁Therefore , ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁the ▁government ▁declared ▁that ▁C ô te ▁d ' I vo ire ▁( or , ▁more ▁fully , ▁République ▁de ▁C ô te ▁d ' I vo ire ) ▁would ▁be ▁its ▁formal ▁name ▁for ▁the ▁purposes ▁of ▁diplom atic ▁protocol , ▁and ▁since ▁then ▁officially ▁ref uses ▁to ▁recognize ▁or ▁accept ▁any ▁translation ▁from ▁French ▁to ▁another ▁language ▁in ▁its ▁international ▁deal ings . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁I vor ian ▁government ' s ▁request , ▁the ▁English ▁translation ▁" I v ory ▁Coast " ▁( o ften ▁" the ▁I v ory ▁Coast ") ▁is ▁still ▁frequently