1989 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1989 (Internet Archive)
Geography
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)
Coastline
515 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than New Mexico
Continental shelf
200 m
Environment
coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; severe deforestation
Extended economic zone
200 nm
Land boundaries
3,1 10 km total; Burkina 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
Land use
9% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 9% meadows and pastures; 26% forest and woodland; 52% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Natural resources
crude oil, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper
Terrain
mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
Territorial sea
1 2 nm
Total area
322,460 km2; land area: 318,000 km2
Total area
150km Abcngourou Yamoussoukro Gagnoa B Adzope S an -Pedro , '£*••* Gulf of Guinea Srr regional map VII
People and Society
Birth rate
48 births/ 1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
13 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
over 60 ethnic groups; most important are the Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, and Agni; about 2 million foreign Africans, mostly Burkinabe; about 1 30,000 to 330,000 non-Africans (30,000 French and 100,000 to 300,000 Lebanese)
Infant mortality rate
100 deaths/ 1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
5,718,000; over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, for estry, livestock raising; about 1 1% of labor force are wage earners, nearly half in agriculture and the remainder in government, industry, commerce, and professions; 54% of population of working age (1985)
Language
French (official), over 60 native dialects; Dioula most widely spoken
Life expectancy at birth
52 years male, 56 years female (1990)
Literacy
42.7%
Nationality
noun — Ivorian(s); adjective — Ivorian
Net migration rate
4 migrants/ 1 ,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
20% of wage labor force
Population
12,478,024 (July 1990), growth rate 4.0% (1990)
Religion
63% indigenous, 25% Muslim, 12% Christian
Total fertility rate
6.9 children born/ woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
49 departments (departements, singular — (departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope, Agboville, 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, Tengrela, Tiassale, Touba, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
Capital
Abidjan (capital city changed to Yamoussoukro in March 1983 but not recognized by US)
Communists
no Communist party; possibly some sympathizers
Constitution
3 November 1960
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Charles GOMIS; Chancery at 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-0300; USAmbassador Kenneth BROWN; Embassy at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan (mailing address is B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01); telephone [225] 32-09-79
Elections
President— last held 27 October 1985 (next to be held October 1990); results— President Felix Houphouet-Boigny was reelected without opposition to his fifth consecutive five-year term; National Assembly — last held 10 November 1985 (next to be held 10 November 1990); results— PDCI is the only party; seats— (175 total) PDCI 175
Executive branch
president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Flag
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
Independence
7 August 1 960 (from France)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government— President Dr. Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since 27 November 1960) Political parties and leaders: only party — Democratic Party of the Ivory Coast (PDCI), Dr. Felix Houphouet-Boigny
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
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Long-form name
Republic of the Ivory Coast; note — the local official name is Republique de Cote d'lvoire
Member of
ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, EGA, ECOWAS, EIB (associate), Entente, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
National Day, 7 December
Suffrage
universal at age 21
Type
republic; one-party presidential regime established 1960