2005 Edition

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

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.)

Agriculture - products

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

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

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. 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

Birth rate

35.51 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$2.767 billion, including capital expenditures of $420 million (2004 est.)

revenues

$2.412 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

new constitution adopted 4 August 2000

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 (code)

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

Currency code

XOF

Current account balance

$-421.5 million (2004 est.)

Death rate

14.94 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Debt - external

$11.81 billion (2004 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS

embassy

5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan

FAX

[225] 20 22 32 59

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 Daouda DIABATE

FAX

[1] (202) 462-9444

telephone

[1] (202) 797-0300

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

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 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.

Electricity - consumption

2.976 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - exports

1.45 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2002)

Electricity - production

4.759 billion kWh (2002)

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, 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 14,000 French) (1998)

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)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000);

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 October 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

$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)

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 - composition by sector

agriculture

27.8%

industry

19.4%

services

52.8% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-1% (2004 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$24.78 billion (2004 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

7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

47,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

570,000 (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.8% (1995)

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 ======================================================================

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)

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, ship construction and repair

Infant mortality rate

female

73.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

male

107.64 deaths/1,000 live births

total

90.83 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.4% (2004 est.)

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

Internet country code

.ci

Internet hosts

3,795 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (2001)

Internet users

90,000 (2002) Transportation Cote d'Ivoire

Investment (gross fixed)

11.3% of GDP (2004 est.)

Irrigated land

730 sq km (1998 est.)

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

Labor force

6.7 million (68% agricultural) (2004 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

9.75%

other

76.41% (2001)

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

elections

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

51.27 years (2005 est.)

male

46.05 years

total population

48.62 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

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)

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.)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

18.76 years (2005 est.)

male

19.36 years

total

19.05 years

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$180.2 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.2% (2004) Transnational Issues Cote d'Ivoire

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

Nationality

adjective

Ivoirian

noun

Ivoirian(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 (2004)

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, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

32,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA

Oil - imports

NA

Oil - production

29,300 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

220 million bbl (2004 est.)

Pipelines

condensate 107 km; gas 223 km; oil 104 km (2004)

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

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.)

Population below poverty line

37% (1995)

Population growth rate

2.06% (2005 est.)

Ports and harbors

Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro

Public debt

74.8% of GDP (2004 est.)

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 (2004)

total

660 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

500,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions) (2004)

refugees (country of origin)

71,711 (Liberia)

Religions

Christian 20-30%, Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40% (2001) note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.95 billion (2004 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.)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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

country code - 225; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 submarine cables (June 1999)

Telephones - main lines in use

328,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.236 million (2003)

Television broadcast stations

14 (1999)

Televisions

1.09 million (2000)

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

Total fertility rate

4.58 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate

13% in urban areas (1998)

Waterways

980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2003)