1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (Project Gutenberg)
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 (depth)
Disputes
none
Environment
coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; severe deforestation
Exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Land area
318,000 km2
Land boundaries
3,110 km; Burkina 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
Land use
arable land 9%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland 26%; other 52%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Natural resources
crude oil, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper
Terrain
mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
322,460 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
47 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
over 60 ethnic groups; most important are the Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, and Agni; foreign Africans, mostly Burkinabe about 2 million; non-Africans about 130,000 to 330,000 (French 30,000 and Lebanese 100,000 to 300,000)
Infant mortality rate
94 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
5,718,000; over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, forestry, livestock raising; about 11% 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)
Languages
French (official), over 60 native dialects; Dioula most widely spoken
Life expectancy at birth
53 years male, 57 years female (1992)
Literacy
54% (male 67%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun - Ivorian(s); adjective - Ivorian
Net migration rate
3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Organized labor
20% of wage labor force
Population
13,497,153 (July 1992), growth rate 3.9% (1992)
Religions
indigenous 63%, Muslim 25%, Christian 12%,
Total fertility rate
6.8 children born/woman (1992)
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, Tingrela, Tiassale, Touba, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
Capital
Yamoussoukro (although Yamoussoukro has been the capital since 1983, Adibjan remains the administrative center; foreign governments, including the United States, maintain presence in Abidjan)
Chief of State and Head of Government
President Dr. Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since 27 November 1960); Prime Minister Alassane OUATTARA (since 7 November 1990)
Constitution
3 November 1960
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Charles GOMIS; Chancery at 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-0300 US: Ambassador Kenneth L. BROWN; Embassy at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan (mailing address is 01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan); telephone [225] 21-09-79 or 21-46-72, FAX [225] 22-32-59
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 France
Independence
7 August 1960 (from France)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
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'Ivoire
Member of
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
National Assembly
last held 25 November 1990 (next to be held November 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (175 total) PDCI 163, FPI 9, PIT 1, independents 2
National holiday
National Day, 7 December
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Party of the Ivory Coast (PDCI), Dr. Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY; Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), Laurent GBAGBO; Ivorian Worker's Party (PIT), Francis WODIE; Ivorian Socialist Party (PSI), Morifere BAMBA; over 20 smaller parties
President
last held 28 October 1990 (next to be held October 1995); results - President Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY received 81% of the vote in his first contested election; he is currently serving his seventh consecutive five-year term
Suffrage
universal at age 21
Type
republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960
Economy
Agriculture
most important sector, contributing one-third to GDP and 80% to exports; cash crops include coffee, cocoa beans, timber, bananas, palm kernels, rubber; food crops - corn, rice, manioc, sweet potatoes; not self-sufficient in bread grain and dairy products
Budget
revenues $2.8 billion (1989 est.); expenditures $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Currency
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural - francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $356 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $5.2 billion
Electricity
1,210,000 kW capacity; 2,680 million kWh produced, 210 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 269.01 (January 1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986)
Exports
$2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: cocoa 30%, coffee 20%, tropical woods 11%, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton partners: France, FRG, Netherlands, US, Belgium, Spain (1985)
External debt
$15.0 billion (1990 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $10 billion, per capita $800; real growth rate -2.9% (1990)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis on a small scale for the international drug trade
Imports
$1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: manufactured goods and semifinished products 50%, consumer goods 40%, raw materials and fuels 10% partners: France, other EC, Nigeria, US, Japan (1985)
Industrial production
growth rate - 6% (1989); accounts for 17% of GDP
Industries
foodstuffs, wood processing, oil refinery, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, beverage
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
-0.8% (1990 est.)
Overview
Ivory Coast is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm-kernel oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for coffee and cocoa and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government to diversify, the economy is still largely dependent on agriculture and related industries. The agricultural sector accounts for over one-third of GDP and about 80% of export earnings and employs about 85% of the labor force. A collapse of world cocoa and coffee prices in 1986 threw the economy into a recession, from which the country had not recovered by 1990. Continuing poor prices for commodity exports, an overvalued exchange rate, a bloated public-sector wage bill, and a large foreign debt hindered economic recovery in 1991.
Unemployment rate
14% (1985)
Communications
Airports
45 total, 39 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
14 major transport aircraft, including multinationally owned Air Afrique fleet
Highways
46,600 km total; 3,600 km paved; 32,000 km gravel, crushed stone, laterite, and improved earth; 11,000 km unimproved
Inland waterways
980 km navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons
Merchant marine
7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 70,957 GRT/ 91,782 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical tanker
Ports
Abidjan, San-Pedro
Railroads
660 km (Burkina border to Abidjan, 1.00-meter gauge, single track, except 25 km Abidjan-Anyama section is double track)
Telecommunications
well-developed by African standards but operating well below capacity; consists of open-wire lines and radio relay links; 87,700 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 17 FM, 13 TV, 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station; 2 coaxial submarine cables
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, Military Fire Group
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $200 million, 2.3% of GDP (1988)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 3,083,765; 1,597,108 fit for military service; 141,259 males reach military age (18) annually