#1 Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Like the rest of our entries, one might wonder why Cote d'Ivoire would respond so glowingly to U.S. leadership abroad. While there's probably no single answer, one reason, perhaps, is the country's close economic ties with the West. That, coupled with a friendly Ivoirian government during the Cold War, made Cote d'Ivoire a likely candidate for American support and investment - through good times and bad. And there most certainly have been bad times, as the country has been marred in more recent decades by coup attempts and civil war. The United States, for what it's worth, pays for over a quarter of the post-2007 peacekeeping operation in the country and, like other entries on the list, Cote d'Ivoire is a target nation for American PEPFAR dollars aimed at fighting HIV/AIDS throughout the continent. Global Top 5s is a monthly feature by RealClearWorld.com powered by Gallup's worldwide research. Learn more at Gallup.com.
