2006 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: 40.8% (male 3,546,674/female 3,653,990) 15-64 years: 56.4% (male 5,024,575/female 4,939,677) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 238,793/female 251,134) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Airports

35 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2006)

total

7

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 15

under 914 m

5 (2006)

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. In December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular protest forced him 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 citizenship, remain unresolved. The central government has yet to exert control over the northern regions and tensions remain high between GBAGBO and opposition 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

35.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$2.83 billion; including capital expenditures of $420 million (2005 est.)

revenues

$2.434 billion

Capital

geographic coordinates

5 19 N, 4 02 W

name

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

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

Cote d'Ivoire Defense and Security Forces (FDSC)

Army, Navy, Air Force (2006)

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

$-193 million (2005 est.)

Death rate

14.84 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$13.43 billion (2005 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS

embassy

Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan

mailing address

B. P. 1866, 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

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

45.2 (1998)

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. 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 turmoil damaged the economy in 2005, with fear among Ivorians spreading, foreign investment shriveling, French businesses and expats fleeing, travel within the country falling, and criminal elements that traffic in weapons and diamonds gaining ground. The government will continue to survive financially off of the sale of cocoa, which represents 90% of foreign exchange earnings. Though the 2005 harvest was largely unaffected by past fighting, the government will likely lose between 10% and 20% of its cocoa harvest to northern rebels, who smuggle the cocoa they control to neighboring countries where cocoa prices are higher. The government remains hopeful that ongoing exploration of Cote d'Ivoire's offshore oil reserves will result in significant production that could boost daily crude output from roughly 33,000 barrels per day (b/d) to over 200,000 b/d by the end of the decade.

Electricity - consumption

3.418 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports

1.35 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - production

5.127 billion kWh (2003)

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 - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)

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 (no term limits); election last held 26 October 2000 (next to be held by October 2006, after the government postponed the election); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Charles Konan BANNY (since 7 December 2005)

Exports

$6.49 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

France 18.3%, US 14.1%, Netherlands 11%, Nigeria 8%, Panama 4.4% (2005)

FAX

[1] (202) 244-3088

[225] 20 22 32 59

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

27.9%

industry

17.1%

services

55% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1% (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$16.57 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$27.58 billion (2005 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

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

highest 10%

28.8% (1995)

lowest 10%

3.1%

IDPs

500,000-800,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions) (2005)

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 19 December, 2006

Imports

$4.759 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities

fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

France 27.7%, Nigeria 24.5%, Singapore 6.6% (2005)

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

71.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

105.73 deaths/1,000 live births

total

89.11 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.9% (2005 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, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Internet country code

.ci

Internet hosts

2,534 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (2001)

Internet users

160,000 (2005) Transportation Cote d'Ivoire

Investment (gross fixed)

8.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Irrigated land

730 sq km (2003)

Labor force

6.95 million (68% agricultural) (2005 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

10.23%

other

78.61% (2005)

permanent crops

11.16%

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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 by 31 October 2006)

note

a Senate is scheduled to be created in the next full election in 2006

Life expectancy at birth

female

51.48 years (2006 est.)

male

46.24 years

total population

48.82 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 (2005)

Manpower available for military service

females age 18-49

3,569,967 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

3,696,106

Manpower fit for military service

females age 18-49

1,911,777 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

1,973,265

Manpower reaching military service age annually

females age 18-49

192,600 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49

189,354

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

18.9 years (2006 est.)

male

19.4 years

total

19.2 years

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$246.6 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.6% (2005 est.) 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

1.3 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.3 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

29.73 billion cu m (2005)

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 (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

20,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

32,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

220 million bbl (2005 est.)

Pipelines

condensate 109 km; gas 240 km; oil 112 km (2006)

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

17,654,843

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 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

37% (1995)

Population growth rate

2.03% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro Military Cote d'Ivoire

Public debt

64.5% of GDP (2005 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 (2005)

total

660 km

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

70,402 (Liberia)

Religions

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

note

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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.42 billion (2005 est.)

Roadways

note

includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are impassable (2006)

paved

6,500 km

total

80,000 km

unpaved

73,500 km

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

0.97 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 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

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

257,900 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2.19 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

14 (1999)

Televisions

1.09 million (2000)

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

Total fertility rate

4.5 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

13% in urban areas (1998)

Waterways

980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2005)