1996 Edition

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

Location

8 00 N, 5 00 W -- Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than New Mexico

land area

318,000 sq km

total area

322,460 sq km

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

Environment

current issues

deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been cleared by the timber industry); water pollution from sewage and industrial and agricultural effluents

international agreements

party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

natural hazards

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

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 5 00 W

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

620 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km

total

3,110 km

Land use

arable land

9%

forest and woodland

26%

meadows and pastures

9%

other

52%

permanent crops

4%

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

petroleum, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

highest point

Mont Nimba 1,752 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 48% (male 3,552,270; female 3,462,462) 15-64 years: 50% (male 3,828,538; female 3,599,920) 65 years and over: 2% (male 164,358; female 154,897) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

42.48 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

15.7 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, Agni, foreign Africans (mostly Burkinabe and Malians, about 3 million), non-Africans 130,000 to 330,000 (French 30,000 and Lebanese 100,000 to 300,000)

Infant mortality rate

82.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

47.25 years (1996 est.)

male

46.23 years

total population

46.73 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

30%

male

49.9%

total population

40.1%

Nationality

adjective

Ivorian

noun

Ivorian(s)

Net migration rate

2.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

note

since 1989, over 350,000 refugees have fled to Cote d'Ivoire to escape the civil war in Liberia

Population

14,762,445 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.92% (1996 est.)

Religions

indigenous 25%, Muslim 60%, Christian 12%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.04 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

6.15 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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

Capital

Yamoussoukro

note

although Yamoussoukro has been the capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the administrative center; foreign governments, including the US, maintain official presences in Abidjan

Constitution

3 November 1960; has been amended numerous times, last time November 1990

Data code

IV

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Moise KOUMOUE-KOFFI

telephone

[1] (202) 797-0300

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers, appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

President Henri Konan BEDIE (since 7 December 1993) served the remainder of the term of former President Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY, who died in office after continuous service from November 1960; President BEDIE was elected with 96% of the vote at the last election on 22 October 1995 (next election October 2000); the president is elected for a five-year term by popular vote

head of government

Prime Minister Daniel Kablan DUNCAN (since 10 December 1993), appointed by the president

FAX

[225] 22 32 59

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)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

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

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

conventional short form

Cote d'Ivoire

former

Ivory Coast

local long form

Republique de Cote d'Ivoire

local short form

Cote d'Ivoire

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

elections last held 27 November 1995 (next to be held November 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (175 total) PDCI 147, RDR 14, FPI 10, unfilled 4; note - of the unfilled seats, elections for 3 were postponed because of violence in the electoral districts and 1 seat remains contested

National holiday

National Day, 7 August

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Party of the Cote d'Ivoire (PDCI), Henri Konan BEDIE; Rally of the Republicans (RDR), Djeny KOBINA; Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), Laurent GBAGBO; Ivorian Worker's Party (PIT), Francis WODIE; Ivorian Socialist Party (PSI), Morifere BAMBA; over 20 smaller parties

Suffrage

21 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Lannon WALKER

embassy

5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan

mailing address

01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan

telephone

[225] 21 09 79

Agriculture

coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc, sweet potatoes, sugar; cotton, rubber; timber

Budget

expenditures

$3.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $408 million (1993)

revenues

$1.9 billion

Currency

1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $552 million (1993)

Economic overview

Cote d'Ivoire 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. After several years of lagging performance, the Ivorian economy began a comeback in 1994, due to improved prices for cocoa and coffee, growth in nontraditional primary exports such as pineapples and rubber, trade and banking liberalization, offshore oil and gas discoveries, and generous external financing and debt rescheduling by multilateral lenders and France. The 50% devaluation of Franc Zone currencies on 12 January 1994 caused a one-time jump in the inflation rate to 32% for 1994, but this rate fell to perhaps 10% in 1995, in part as the economy adjusted to the devaluation. Moreover, government adherence to donor-mandated reforms led to a budget surplus in 1994. Real growth of GDP in 1994 was 1.7%, a significant improvement following several years of negative growth. In 1995 growth picked up to 5%.

Electricity

capacity

1,170,000 kW

consumption per capita

123 kWh (1993)

production

1.8 billion kWh

Exchange rates

CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991)

note

beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Exports

$2.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities

cocoa 55%, coffee 12%, tropical woods 11%, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton, fish

partners

France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Burkina Faso, US, UK

External debt

$19 billion (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $21.9 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

37%

industry

24%

services

39% (1993)

GDP per capita

$1,500 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis; mostly for local consumption; some international drug trade; transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin to Europe and occasionally to the US

Imports

$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.)

commodities

food, capital goods, consumer goods, fuel

partners

France, Nigeria, Japan, Netherlands, US, Italy

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, construction materials, electricity

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

10% (1995 est.)

Labor force

5.718 million

by occupation

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

Unemployment rate

NA%

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $140 million, 1.4% of GDP (1993)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

3,386,638

males fit for military service

1,762,412

males reach military age (18) annually

157,712 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 71, FM 0, shortwave 13

Radios

NA

Telephone system

well-developed by African standards but operating well below capacity

domestic

open-wire lines and microwave radio relay

international

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 coaxial submarine cables

Telephones

87,700 (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

18

Televisions

810,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

35

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

4

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

2

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

10

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

6

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

12 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

3,579 km

total

46,331 km

unpaved

42,752 km (1984 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

container 2, oil tanker 1 (1995 est.)

total

3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,726 GRT/34,711 DWT

Ports

Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro

Railways

narrow gauge

660 km 1.000-meter gauge; 25 km double track

total

660 km (1995 est.)

Waterways

980 km navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons