| Cote d'Ivoire |  | Click to enlarge
| Introduction Geography People Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues |
Home Reference Maps Appendixes Print-Friendly Page
This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
Legend: Definition Field Listing Rank Order
| Introduction | Cote d'Ivoire | 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, but did not protect it from political turmoil. 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. Junta leader Robert GUEI held elections in late 2000, but excluded prominent opposition leader Alassane OUATTARA, blatantly rigged the polling results, and declared himself winner. Popular protest forced GUEI to step aside and brought runner-up Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002. Rebel forces claimed the northern half of the country and in January 2003 were granted ministerial positions in a unity government under the auspices of the Linas-Marcoussis Peace Accord. President GBAGBO and rebel forces resumed implementation of the peace accord in December 2003 after a three-month stalemate, but issues that sparked the civil war, such as land reform and grounds for nationality remain unresolved. The central government has yet to exert control over the northern regions and tensions remain high between GBAGBO and rebel leaders. Several thousand French and West African troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to maintain peace and facilitate the disarmament, demobilization, and rehabilitation process.

| Geography | Cote d'Ivoire | 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: | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 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, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower
Land use: | arable land: 9.75% permanent crops: 13.84% other: 76.41% (2001)
Irrigated land: | 730 sq km (1998 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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated

| People | Cote d'Ivoire | Top of Page

Population: | 17,298,040 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 2005 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 41% (male 3,490,536/female 3,596,208) 15-64 years: 56.3% (male 4,920,726/female 4,820,326) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 231,514/female 238,730) (2005 est.)
Median age: | total: 19.05 years male: 19.36 years female: 18.76 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate: | 2.06% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: | 35.51 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: | 14.94 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 90.83 deaths/1,000 live births male: 107.64 deaths/1,000 live births female: 73.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 48.62 years male: 46.05 years female: 51.27 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 4.58 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 7% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 570,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 47,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high risks in some locations water contact: schistosomiasis (2004)
Nationality: | noun: Ivoirian(s) adjective: Ivoirian
Ethnic groups: | Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques or Gur 17.6%, Northern Mandes 16.5%, Krous 11%, Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8% (includes 130,000 Lebanese and 14,000 French) (1998)
Religions: | Christian 20-30%, Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40% (2001) 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: 50.9% male: 57.9% female: 43.6% (2003 est.)

| Government | Cote d'Ivoire | 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 commercial and administrative center; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan
Administrative divisions: | 19 regions; Agneby, Bafing, Bas-Sassandra, Denguele, Dix-Huit Montagnes, Fromager, Haut-Sassandra, Lacs, Lagunes, Marahoue, Moyen-Cavally, Moyen-Comoe, N'zi-Comoe, Savanes, Sud-Bandama, Sud-Comoe, Vallee du Bandama, Worodougou, Zanzan
Independence: | 7 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: | Independence Day, 7 August (1960)
Constitution: | new constitution adopted 4 August 2000
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); head of government: Prime Minister Seydou DIARRA (since 25 January 2003); note - appointed as transitional Prime Minister by President GBAGBO as part of a French brokered peace plan 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 to be held October 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 October 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: | Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Eg Theodore MEL]; Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally or PDCI-RDA [Henri Konan BEDIE]; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Laurent GBAGBO]; Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Francis WODIE]; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Alassane OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and Peace or UDPCI [Paul Akoto YAO]; over 20 smaller parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA
International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Daouda DIABATE chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300 FAX: [1] (202) 462-9444
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS 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

| Economy | Cote d'Ivoire | 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 weather conditions. Despite government attempts to diversify the economy, it is still heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, engaging 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 to 5% annual growth during 1996-99. Growth was negative in 2000-03 because of the difficulty of meeting the conditions of international donors, continued low prices of key exports, and severe civil war. In November 2004 the situation deteriorated when President GBAGBO's troops attacked and killed nine French peacekeeping forces, and the UN imposed an arms embargo. Political uncertainty has clouded the economic outlook for 2005, with fear among Ivorians spreading, foreign investment shriveling, businessmen fleeing, travel within the country falling, and criminal elements that traffic in weapons and diamonds gaining ground.
GDP (purchasing power parity): | $24.78 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | -1% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 27.8% industry: 19.4% services: 52.8% (2004 est.)
Labor force: | 6.7 million (68% agricultural) (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate: | 13% in urban areas (1998)
Population below poverty line: | 37% (1995)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.8% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 36.7 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 1.4% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): | 11.3% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $2.412 billion expenditures: $2.767 billion, including capital expenditures of $420 million (2004 est.)
Public debt: | 74.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products: | coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber
Industries: | foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity, ship construction and repair
Industrial production growth rate: | 15% (1998 est.)
Electricity - production: | 4.759 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption: | 2.976 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: | 1.45 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: | 29,300 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 32,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA
Oil - imports: | NA
Oil - proved reserves: | 220 million bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production: | 1.35 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 1.35 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: | 14.87 billion cu m (2004)
Current account balance: | $-421.5 million (2004 est.)
Exports: | $5.124 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: | cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish
Exports - partners: | US 11.6%, Netherlands 10.3%, France 9.5%, Italy 5.5%, Belgium 4.7%, Germany 4.7% (2004)
Imports: | $3.36 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: | fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs
Imports - partners: | France 24.3%, Nigeria 19.2%, UK 4% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $1.95 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external: | $11.81 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | ODA, $1 billion (1996 est.)
Currency (code): | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Exchange rates: | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

| Communications | Cote d'Ivoire | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 328,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 1.236 million (2003)
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: country code - 225; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 submarine cables (June 1999)
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: | 14 (1999)
Internet country code: | .ci
Internet hosts: | 3,795 (2004)
Internet users: | 90,000 (2002)

| Transportation | Cote d'Ivoire | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 660 km narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-meter gauge note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2004)
Highways: | total: 50,400 km paved: 4,889 km unpaved: 45,511 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: | 980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2003)
Pipelines: | condensate 107 km; gas 223 km; oil 104 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: | Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro
Airports: | 37 (2004 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 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.)

| Military | Cote d'Ivoire | Top of Page

Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force
Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 3,696,106 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 1,973,265 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: | males: 189,354 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $180.2 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.2% (2004)

| Transnational Issues | Cote d'Ivoire | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | rebel and ethnic fighting against the central government in 2002 has spilled into neighboring states, driven out foreign cocoa workers from nearby countries, and, in 2004, resulted in 6,000 peacekeepers deployed as part of UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) assisting 4,000 French troops already in-country; the Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso and Liberia of supporting Ivorian rebels
Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 71,711 (Liberia) IDPs: 500,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions) (2004)
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 and South Africa; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005