Côte d'Ivoire科特迪瓦

Curatorial Note

In the late 1970s, Côte d'Ivoire, then one of West Africa's most economically dynamic nations, sought to consolidate its national identity through cartographic self-representation. The single atlas in this collection, published in 1979 by the Association de l'Atlas de Côte d'Ivoire, emerged from a broader post-independence movement across Francophone Africa, where newly sovereign states commissioned national atlases to assert territorial unity and document their natural and human resources. This atlas, written in French, reflects the country's colonial-era administrative language while serving a modern nation-building purpose. Its editorial approach likely followed the standard format of the period: thematic chapters covering physical geography, population, agriculture, economy, and infrastructure, with detailed maps and statistical tables. Although no contemporary reviews or later scholarly assessments are recorded in this collection, the atlas stands as a testament to a specific moment in Ivorian history—a time of optimism and development. Its significance lies less in its rarity (only one edition) and more in its role as a foundational document, offering a snapshot of the nation at a pivotal point. For researchers, it provides a baseline for studying environmental and demographic changes over subsequent decades. As a museum piece, it invites visitors to consider how maps not only depict territory but also shape national consciousness, a legacy that continues to influence cartographic practices in Côte d'Ivoire today.