Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast produces more cocoa than any other country on Earth - roughly 40% of the global supply. That means nearly half of the world's chocolate bars start their life in the humid plantations of this West African nation. The country's official name is Cote d'Ivoire, and the government insists on that name in all languages, though English speakers stubbornly continue to call it Ivory Coast. Either way, this is the economic powerhouse of Francophone West Africa.

Abidjan, the economic capital, has a skyline that surprises first-time visitors - the Plateau district looks more like a modest Manhattan than a typical African city. The real capital is Yamoussoukro, a sleepy administrative town famous for the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, a Catholic church modeled on St. Peter's in Rome that is the largest church in the world (yes, larger than St. Peter's itself). The country's 60-plus ethnic groups each bring distinct traditions, from the stilt dancers of the Dan people in the west to the gold-weighing traditions of the Baoule in the center. And then there's football - the generation of Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, and Kolo Toure made Ivory Coast a force on the world stage.