2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

58 departments (departements, singular - departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adiake, Adzope, Agboville, Agnibilekrou, Alepe, Bocanda, Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma, Bondoukou, Bongouanou, Bouafle, Bouake, Bouna, Boundiali, Dabakala, Dabou, Daloa, Danane, Daoukro, Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue, Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa, Grand-Bassam, Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia, Jacqueville, Katiola, Korhogo, Lakota, Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro, Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro, Sassandra, Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre, Tabou, Tanda, Tiebissou, Tingrela, Tiassale, Touba, Toulepleu, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula

Age structure

0-14 years: 45.4% (male 3,796,393; female 3,902,210) 15-64 years: 52.4% (male 4,541,997; female 4,347,531) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 179,323; female 195,037) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

36 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002)

total

7

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 14

under 914 m

8 (2002) Military Cote d'Ivoire

Area

land

318,000 sq km

total

322,460 sq km

water

4,460 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

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. GBAGBO spent his first two years in office trying to consolidate power to strengthen his weak mandate, but he was unable to appease his opponents, who 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. However, the central government has yet to exert control over the northern regions and tension remains high between GBAGBO and rebel leaders. Several thousand French and West African troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to maintain peace and help implement the peace accords. Geography Cote d'Ivoire

Birth rate

40.01 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $420 million (2001 est.)

revenues

$1.72 billion

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

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

Constitution

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

Country name

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

Currency

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

Currency code

XOF

Death rate

18.41 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$10.3 billion (2002 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Arlene RENDER

embassy

5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan

mailing address

B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01

telephone

[225] 20 21 09 79

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Pascal Dago KOKORA

Disputes - international

rebel fighting extended to neighboring states and has driven out nationals and foreign workers to nearby countries; the Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso and Liberia of supporting Ivorian rebels

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.7 (1995)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA, $1 billion (1996 est.)

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 during 1996-99. Growth was negative in 2000-02 because of the difficulty of meeting the conditions of international donors, continued low prices of key exports, and severe civil war fighting.

Electricity - consumption

2.983 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

1.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

4.605 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

61.9%

hydro

38.1%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mont Nimba 1,752 m

lowest point

Gulf of Guinea 0 m

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

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 20,000 French) (1998)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

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

election results

Laurent GBAGBO elected president; percent of vote - Laurent GBAGBO 59.4%, Robert GUEI 32.7%, Francis WODIE 5.7%, other 2.2%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 26 October 2000 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president

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

Exports

$4.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish

Exports - partners

France 14.5%, Netherlands 12.9%, US 7.6%, Germany 5.4%, Mali 4.6%, Belgium 4.4%, Spain 4.3% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 462-9444

[225] 20 22 32 59

telephone

[1] (202) 797-0300

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Cote d'Ivoire

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $24.03 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

29%

industry

22%

services

49% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-1.6% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 5 00 W

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

Government type

republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960

Highways

paved

4,889 km

total

50,400 km

unpaved

45,511 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

9.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

75,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

770,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

28.8% (1995)

lowest 10%

3.1%

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 18 December, 2003

Imports

$2.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

France 22.7%, Nigeria 16.6%, China 7.9%, Italy 4.2% (2002)

Independence

7 August (1960) (from France)

Industrial production growth rate

15% (1998 est.)

Industries

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

Infant mortality rate

female

80.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

115.29 deaths/1,000 live births

total

98.33 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.2% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, ECA, 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, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Internet country code

.ci

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (2001)

Internet users

70,000 (2002) Transportation Cote d'Ivoire

Irrigated land

730 sq km (1998 est.)

Labor force

68% agricultural (2000 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

9.28%

other

76.88% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

13.84%

Languages

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

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 or Assemblee Nationale (225 seats; members are elected in single- and multi-district elections by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)

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

elections

elections last held 10 December 2000 with by-elections on 14 January 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)

note

a Senate is scheduled to be created in the next full election in 2005

Life expectancy at birth

female

45.04 years (2003 est.)

male

40.34 years

total population

42.65 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

43.6% (2003 est.) Government Cote d'Ivoire

male

57.9%

total population

50.9%

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

Median age

female

16.6 years (2002)

male

17.3 years

total

17 years

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (includes Presidential Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$143.5 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (FY02) Transnational Issues Cote d'Ivoire

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

4,035,462 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

2,110,276 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

198,115 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

Nationality

adjective

Ivorian

noun

Ivorian(s)

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 - production

1.35 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

14.87 billion cu m (37257)

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, hydropower

Net migration rate

-0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

32,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

11,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

50 million bbl (37257)

Pipelines

condensate 107 km; gas 223 km; oil 104 km (2003)

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 [Alassane OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and Peace or UDPCI [leader NA]; over 20 smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

16,962,491

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 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

37% (1995)

Population growth rate

2.15% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios

2.26 million (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

660 km 1.000-meter gauge

note

an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2002)

total

660 km

Religions

Christian 20-30%, Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40% (2001)

note

the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

0.97 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

Telephone system

domestic

open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized

general assessment

well developed by African standards but operating well below capacity

international

satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 coaxial submarine cables (June 1999)

Telephones - main lines in use

263,700 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular

450,000 (2000)

Television broadcast stations

14 (1999)

Televisions

1.09 million (2000)

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

Total fertility rate

5.51 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

13% in urban areas (1998)

Waterways

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