Côte d’Ivoire gained its independence from France in 1960, yet has remained closely tied to the French. In 1999 the country’s first-ever military coup overthrew the government, resulting in a civil war that began in 2002. This left the country divided, with rebels holding the north, government forces in the south and peacekeeping forces as a buffer. In 2007, an agreement was signed by both parties to dismantle the buffer zone, integrate rebel forces into the national armed forces and hold elections. This proved difficult to pursue, so several thousand UN peacekeepers and several hundred French troops remain in Côte d’Ivoire to support the transition process. Of the country's 27 million people, 40% of the population is Muslim and about 37% of the population is Christian. 43% of the population is under 18 years old. As one of the most prosperous of the West African states, Côte d’Ivoire is the largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer of coffee. It is a multilingual country with over 78 languages spoken, with the official language being French.