| Cote d'Ivoire |
Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Cote d'Ivoire | Introduction | Top of Page

Background: | Close ties to France since independence in 1960, the development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the tropical African states. Falling cocoa prices and political turmoil, however, sparked an economic downturn in 1999 and 2000. On 25 December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government led by President Henri Konan BEDIE. Presidential and legislative elections held in October and December 2000 provoked violence due to the exclusion of opposition leader Alassane OUATTARA. In October 2000, Laurent GBAGBO replaced junta leader Robert GUEI as president, ending 10 months of military rule.

Cote d'Ivoire | Geography | Top of Page

Location: | Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia

Geographic coordinates: | 8 00 N, 5 00 W

Map references: | Africa

Area: | total: 322,460 sq km land: 318,000 sq km water: 4,460 sq km

Area - comparative: | slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries: | total: 3,110 km border countries: Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km

Coastline: | 515 km

Maritime claims: | continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: | tropical along coast, semiarid in far north; three seasons - warm and dry (November to March), hot and dry (March to May), hot and wet (June to October)

Terrain: | mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m

Natural resources: | petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, hydropower

Land use: | arable land: 8% permanent crops: 4% permanent pastures: 41% forests and woodland: 22% other: 25% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | 680 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: | coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible

Environment - current issues: | deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been heavily logged); water pollution from sewage and industrial and agricultural effluents

Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Cote d'Ivoire | People | Top of Page

Population: | 16,393,221 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 46.21% (male 3,802,397; female 3,773,455) 15-64 years: 51.57% (male 4,343,518; female 4,110,805) 65 years and over: 2.22% (male 180,463; female 182,583) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 2.51% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 40.38 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 16.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 1.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) note: after Liberia's civil war started in 1990, more than 350,000 refugees fled to Cote d'Ivoire; by the end of 1999 most Liberian refugees were assumed to have returned

Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 93.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 44.93 years male: 43.58 years female: 46.33 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 5.7 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 10.76% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 760,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 72,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality: | noun: Ivorian(s) adjective: Ivorian

Ethnic groups: | Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques or Gur 17.6%, Northern Mandes 16.5%, Krous 11%, Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8% (1998)

Religions: | Christian 34%, Muslim 27%, no religion 21%, animist 15%, other 3% (1998) note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%)

Languages: | French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken

Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 48.5% male: 57% female: 40%

Cote d'Ivoire | Government | Top of Page

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire local short form: Cote d'Ivoire former: Ivory Coast

Government type: | republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960

Capital: | Yamoussoukro; note - although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the administrative center; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan

Administrative divisions: | 50 departments (departements, singular - departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope, Agboville, Agnibilekrou, Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma, Bondoukou, Bongouanou, Bouafle, Bouake, Bouna, Boundiali, Dabakala, Daloa, Danane, Daoukro, Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue, Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa, Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia, Katiola, Korhogo, Lakota, Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro, Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro, Sassandra, Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre, Tabou, Tanda, Tingrela, Tiassale, Touba, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula note: Cote d'Ivoire may have a new administrative structure consisting of 58 departments; the following additional departments have been reported but not yet confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN); Adiake', Ale'pe', Dabon, Grand Bassam, Jacqueville, Tiebissou, Toulepleu, Bocanda

Independence: | 7 August (1960) (from France)

National holiday: | Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

Constitution: | 3 November 1960; has been amended numerous times, last time 27 July 1998

Legal system: | based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: | chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000); note - took power following a popular overthrow of the interim leader Gen. Robert GUEI who had claimed a dubious victory in presidential elections; Gen. GUEI himself had assumed power on 25 December 1999, following a military coup against the government of former President Henri Konan BEDIE head of government: Prime Minister and Minister of Planning and Development Affi N'GUESSAN (since 27 October 2000) appointed by the president cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 26 October 2000 (next is scheduled to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Laurent GBAGBO elected president; percent of vote - Laurent GBAGBO 59.4%, Robert GUEI 32.7%, Francis WODIE 5.7%, other 2.2%

Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (225 seats; members are elected in single- and multi-district elections by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: elections last held 10 December 2000 with by-elections on 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FPI 96, PDCI-RDA 94, RDR 5, PIT 4, other 2, independents 22, vacant 2 note: a Senate is scheduled to be created in the next full election in 2005

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consists of four chambers: Judicial Chamber for criminal cases, Audit Chamber for financial cases, Constitutional Chamber for judicial review cases, and Administrative Chamber for civil cases; there is no legal limit to the number of members

Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally or PDCI-RDA [Aime Henri Konan BEDIE]; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Laurent GBAGBO]; Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Francis WODIE]; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Henriette DAGRI-DIABATE]; Union for Democracy and Peace [Gen. Robert GUEI]; over 20 smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA

International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC (observer), OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Youssouf BAMBA chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador George MU embassy: 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan mailing address: B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01 telephone: [225] 20 21 09 79 FAX: [225] 20 22 32 59

Flag description: | three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and has the colors reversed - green (hoist side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is green (hoist side), white, and red; design was based on the flag of France

Cote d'Ivoire | Economy | Top of Page

Economy - overview: | Cote d'Ivoire is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for these products and to weather conditions. Despite government attempts to diversify the economy, it is still largely dependent on agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly 68% of the population. After several years of lagging performance, the Ivorian economy began a comeback in 1994, due to the 50% devaluation of the CFA franc and improved prices for cocoa and coffee, growth in nontraditional primary exports such as pineapples and rubber, limited trade and banking liberalization, offshore oil and gas discoveries, and generous external financing and debt rescheduling by multilateral lenders and France. Moreover, government adherence to donor-mandated reforms led to a jump in growth to 5% annually in 1996-99. Growth was negative in 2000 because of the difficulty of meeting the conditions of international donors, continued low prices of key exports, and post-coup instability. In 2001-02, a moderate rebound in the cocoa market could boost growth back above 3%; however, political instability could impede growth again.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $26.2 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | -0.3% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 32% industry: 18% services: 50% (1998)

Population below poverty line: | NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.8% (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: | 68% agricultural (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: | 13% in urban areas (1998 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $1.5 billion expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $420 million (2000 est.)

Industries: | foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity

Industrial production growth rate: | 15% (1998 est.)

Electricity - production: | 4.06 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 75.37% hydro: 24.63% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 3.183 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 593 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: | coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber

Exports: | $3.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: | cocoa 33%, coffee, tropical woods, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton, fish (1999)

Exports - partners: | France 15%, US 8%, Netherlands 7%, Germany 6%, Italy 6% (1999)

Imports: | $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: | food, consumer goods; capital goods, fuel, transport equipment

Imports - partners: | France 26%, Nigeria 10%, China 7%, Italy 5%, Germany 4% (1999)

Debt - external: | $13.9 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: | ODA, $1 billion (1996 est.)

Currency: | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code: | XOF

Exchange rates: | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro

Fiscal year: | calendar year

Cote d'Ivoire | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 219,283 (31 December 1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 322,500 (May 2000)

Telephone system: | general assessment: well developed by African standards but operating well below capacity domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 coaxial submarine cables (June 1999)

Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 8, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios: | 2.26 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 14 (1999)

Televisions: | 900,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .ci

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 5 (2001)

Internet users: | 20,000 (2000)

Cote d'Ivoire | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 660 km narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-meter gauge; 25 km double track note: an additional 600 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso, ending at Kaya, north of Ouagadougou (2000)

Highways: | total: 50,400 km paved: 4,889 km unpaved: 45,511 km (1996)

Waterways: | 980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons)

Ports and harbors: | Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro

Merchant marine: | total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,200 GRT/1,500 DWT ships by type: petroleum tanker 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: | 36 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: | total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 9 (2000 est.)

Cote d'Ivoire | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (includes Presidential Guard), Sapeur-Pompier (Military Fire Group)

Military manpower - military age: | 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 3,851,432 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 2,010,862 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 188,411 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $94 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1% (FY96)

Cote d'Ivoire | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | none

Illicit drugs: | illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin to Europe and occasionally to the US, and for Latin American cocaine destined for Europe