Cōte d'Ivoire, or Republique de Cōte d'Ivoire (English: Ivory Coast), a country in western Africa. Prior to becoming independent in 1960, it was part of French West Africa. Cōte d'Ivoire lies on the Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, and is bordered by Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ghana. Its area is 124,504 square miles (322,464 km2). The country's maximum dimensions are about 400 miles (640 km) both north-south and east-west.