The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire i/ˌkoʊt dɨˈvwɑr/ (French: [kot d‿ivwaʁ]) or Ivory Coast i/ˌaɪvəri ˈkoʊst/ is a country in West Africa. It has an area of 322,462 square kilometres (124,503 sq mi), and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be 20,617,068 in 2009. Côte d'Ivoire's first national census in 1975 counted 6.7 million inhabitants.
Prior to its colonization by Europeans, Côte d'Ivoire was home to several states, including Gyaaman, the Kong Empire, and Baoulé. There were two Anyi kingdoms, Indénié and Sanwi, which attempted to retain their separate identity through the French colonial period and after Côte d'Ivoire's independence. An 1843–1844 treaty made Côte d'Ivoire a protectorate of France and in 1893, it became a French colony as part of the European scramble for Africa.
Côte d'Ivoire became independent on 7 August 1960. From 1960 to 1993, the country was led by Félix Houphouët-Boigny. It maintained close political and economic association with its West African neighbours, while at the same time maintaining close ties to the West, especially to France. Since the end of Houphouët-Boigny's rule, Côte d'Ivoire has experienced one coup d’état, in 1999, and a civil war, which broke out in 2002. A political agreement between the government and the rebels brought a return to peace. Côte d'Ivoire is a republic with a strong executive power invested in the President. Its de jure capital is Yamoussoukro and the biggest city is the port city of Abidjan. The country is divided into 19 regions and 81 departments. It is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, African Union, La Francophonie, Latin Union, Economic Community of West African States and South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone.
My shadow pulled me up the stairs
To a room that’s filled with tired air
And I watched you sleep ‘cause no one else cared
All alone I sit and wait
For the anesthetic in my veins
To take me up and take me out
Loud
To that Ivory coast
Let it go
On that Ivory coast
Let me go
Nurses dressed you up in white
They gave you paler skin and blood shot eyes
And I’ve forgotten that we never last long
Remember when you held my hand
Over banisters we couldn’t mend
The screen goes black for me
For 24 hours on the Ivory Coast,
They relieved soldiers from their post,
And they gave champagne, for a toast,
To pay dividends to the country's host.
They say, Tonight, you can leave your home,
But tomorrow, it's gonna be the way of the gun,
And the curfew, won't allow you to roam, roam, roam,
And the bullets will let you know, when the bad dog comes 'round your door....
Who is the killer
(Wooooh ohhh oh!)
Who is the killer
(Wooooh ohhh oh!)
Stone-cold killer,
(Woooooh ohhh oh!)
Food for the trigger,
(Wohhhh ohh ohh!)
I'll shoot ya down, right on sight,
If you're out in the wrong time of night,
In a civil war, there's no civil rights,
In the day of the dead, run for your life.
They say, tonight, you can leave your home,
And tomorrow, will be the way of the gun,
And the curfew, won't allow you to you roam, roam, roam,
And the bullets will let you know, when the bad dog comes 'round your door....
Who is the killer
(Wooooh ohhh oh!)
Who is the killer
(Wooooh ohhh oh!)
Stone-cold killer,
(Woooooh ohhh oh!)
Food for the trigger,
(Wohhhh ohh ohh!)
And the trenches are dug,
And the bones they do shiver,
The tastes of war, so cold and bitter,
And the human race is the face of the killer,
And the cost of life is rarely considered.
They say, tonight, you can leave your home,
But tomorrow, but tomorrow, it's gonna be the way of the gun,
And the curfew, won't allow you to roam, roam, roam,
And the bullets will let you know, when the bad dog comes 'round your door....
Who is the killer?
(Wooooh ohhh oh!)
Who is the killer?
(Wooooh ohhh oh!)
Stone-cold killer,
(Woooooh ohhh oh!)
Food for the trigger,