James Baquet The country which calls itself Cote d’Ivoire (and wishes others to do the same) is known in English as the Ivory Coast. The name comes from the colonial era. This country produced ivory from the tusks of elephants. Its eastern neighbor, Ghana, was once known as the Gold Coast for its primary export; to the west, Liberia was once called the “Pepper (or Grain) Coast” (referring, in fact, to grains of black pepper). More sinister is that the area to the east of Ghana, comprising Togo, Benin and Nigeria, was once known as the “Slave Coast.” In addition to the neighbors mentioned, Cote d’Ivoire has Mali and Burkina Faso to the north, Guinea to the northeast, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south, as it is on the transverse coast of West Africa. Like many countries in the region, Cote d’Ivoire’s borders were defined by colonizers, in this case the French, who arrived in the 1840s. Prior to their arrival, the area was occupied by several native states, some of which provided aggressive resistance to the arrival of the French. Two of these, Indenie and Sanwi, even attempted to retain their identity at the time of independence in 1960. As one might expect, French is the official language, but a number of indigenous languages — nearly 80 or so — are also widely used. In the capital city of Yamoussoukro stands one of the world’s wonders, the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro. Though the Catholic Church considers it a minor basilica, the church — built to resemble the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City — is listed in the Guinness World Records as the largest church in the world, a record previously held by St. Peter’s. However, its 30,000 square meters include a rectory and a villa, which are not strictly speaking part of the church. Thus, while the basilica in Cote d’Ivoire can seat only 18,000 worshipers, St. Peter’s in Rome can seat over three times that many. As the country is less than half Christian, only a few hundred people attend most services. Vocabulary: Which word above means: 1. person who is “property” of another, and can be bought and sold 2. opposition, armed response 3. place where one or more priests live 4. a Roman Catholic church building with special status 5. “sideways,” in this case, running east-west 6. unfortunate, evil 7. amazing things 8. look like 9. conditions that make something what it is, and not something else 10. long teeth, as on elephants and walruses | 