Houphouët-Boigny, Félix, << oo FWAY bwah NYEE, fay LEEKS >> (1905-1993), served as president of Côte d’Ivoire from 1960 until his death on Dec. 7, 1993. He became the country’s first president in 1960, when it gained independence from France. As president, Houphouët-Boigny helped unite the country’s many ethnic groups. He maintained close relations with France and other Western European nations. Côte d’Ivoire received much economic support from those nations. Under Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d’Ivoire achieved political stability and much economic progress. However, economic problems helped cause some political instability in the early 1990’s.
Houphouët-Boigny was born on Oct. 18, 1905, in Yamoussoukro, near Dimbokro, Côte d’Ivoire. He practiced medicine for many years before entering politics in the mid-1940’s. He served in the French government from 1945 to 1959. He helped bring independence to Côte d’Ivoire and other French-controlled African areas.
