2010 Edition

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 West 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 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, remained unresolved. In March 2007 President GBAGBO and former New Force rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed the Ouagadougou Political Agreement. As a result of the agreement, SORO joined GBAGBO's government as Prime Minister and the two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the zone of confidence separating North from South, integrate rebel forces into the national armed forces, and hold elections. Disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of rebel forces have been problematic as rebels seek to enter the armed forces. Citizen identification and voter registration pose election difficulties, and balloting planned for November 2009 was postponed with no future date set. Several thousand UN troops and several hundred French remain in Cote d'Ivoire to help the parties implement their commitments and to support the peace process.

Area

land

318,003 sq km

total

322,463 sq km

water

4,460 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

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

Elevation extremes

highest point

Monts 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

51 cu m/yr (2000)

total

0.93 cu km/yr (24%/12%/65%)

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

Irrigated land

730 sq km (2003)

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%

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 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

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

Total renewable water resources

81 cu km (2001)

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.6% (male 4,215,912/female 4,146,077) 15-64 years: 56.6% (male 5,942,642/female 5,720,108) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 296,074/female 296,255) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

31.48 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

10.43 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2008)

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)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

3.9% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

38,000 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

480,000 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

59.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

73.37 deaths/1,000 live births

total

66.43 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

57.13 years (2010 est.)

male

55.27 years

total population

56.19 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

38.6% (2000 est.)

male

60.8%

total population

48.7%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and yellow fever

water contact

schistosomiasis

Median age

female

19.3 years (2010 est.)

male

19.6 years

total

19.4 years

Nationality

adjective

Ivoirian

noun

Ivoirian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population NA

Population

21,058,798 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

2.105% (2010 est.)

Religions

Muslim 38.6%, Christian 32.8%, indigenous 11.9%, none 16.7% (2008 est.) note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

5 years (2000)

male

10 years

total

6 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.01 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

49% of total population (2008)

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

Capital

geographic coordinates

6 49 N, 5 17 W

name

Yamoussoukro

time difference

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

Constitution

approved by referendum 23 July 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 note: pronounced coat-div-whar

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Wanda L. NESBITT

embassy

Cocody Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan

FAX

[225] 22 49 43 32

mailing address

B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01

telephone

[225] 22 49 40 00

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Yao Charles KOFFI

FAX

[1] (202) 244-3088

telephone

[1] (202) 797-0300

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - under the current power-sharing agreement the prime minister and the president share the authority to appoint ministers (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Alassane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010); note - former President Laurent GBAGBO has refused to cede power

election results

Alassane OUATTARA elected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA 54.1%, Laurent GBAGBO 45.9%; note - President OUATTARA was declared winner by the election commission and took the oath of office on 4 December, Prime Minister SORO resigned from the incumbent administration and was subsequently appointed to the same position by OUATTARA; former president GBAGBO refused to cede and on 5 December appointed Gilbert Marie N'GBO AKE as Prime Minister

elections

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 31 October and 28 November 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Guillaume SORO (since 4 April 2007); note - on 4 December 2010, Gilbert Marie N'GBO AKE was also appointed to the position by former president GBAGBO

Flag description

three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; orange symbolizes the land (savannah) of the north and fertility, white stands for peace and unity, green represents the forests of the south and the hope for a bright future note: 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

Government type

republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960 note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing agreement mandated by international mediators

Independence

7 August 1960 (from France)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS (suspended), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

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 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 was scheduled to be created in October 2006 elections that never took place

elections

elections last held on 10 December 2000 with by-elections on 14 January 2001 (elections originally scheduled for 2005 have been repeatedly postponed by the government)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO note: adopted 1960; although the nation's capital city moved from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in 1983, the anthem still owes its name to the former capital

name

"L'Abidjanaise" (Song of Abidjan)

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

Political parties and leaders

Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Theodore MEL EG]; Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE]; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Pascale Affi N'GUESSAN]; Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Francis WODIE]; Opposition Movement of the Future or MFA [Innocent Augustin ANAKY]; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Alassane OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI [Toikeuse MABRI]; over 144 smaller registered parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

Federation of University and High School Students of Cote d'Ivoire or FESCI [Serges KOFFI]; Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP [Alphonse DJEDJE MADY]; Young Patriots [Charles BLE GOUDE]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2009) 4.75% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA% (31 December 2009 est.) NA% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

$534 million (2010 est.) $1.67 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$11.6 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $11.34 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

44.6 (2002) 36.7 (1995)

Economy - overview

Cote d'Ivoire is heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly 68% of the population. Cote d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for these products, and, to a lesser extent, in climatic conditions. Cocoa, oil, and coffee are the country's top export revenue earners, but the country is also producing gold. Since the end of the civil war in 2003, political turmoil has continued to damage the economy, resulting in the loss of foreign investment and slow economic growth. GDP grew by more than 2% in 2008 and around 4% per year in 2009-10. Per capita income has declined by 15% since 1999, but registered a slight improvement in 2009-10. Power cuts caused by a turbine failure in early 2010 slowed economic activity. Cote d'Ivoire in 2010 signed agreements to restructure its Paris Club bilateral, other bilateral, and London Club debt. Cote d'Ivoire's long term challenges include political instability and degrading infrastructure.

Electricity - consumption

3.231 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

772 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

5.275 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 506.04 (2010), 472.19 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 481.83 (2007), 522.89 (2006)

Exports

$10.25 billion (2010 est.) $10.5 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Netherlands 13.92%, France 10.75%, US 7.79%, Germany 7.2%, Nigeria 6.99%, Ghana 5.56% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

28.2%

industry

21.3%

services

50.6% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,800 (2010 est.) $1,800 (2009 est.) $1,700 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3.6% (2010 est.) 4.2% (2009 est.) 2.3% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$22.38 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$37.8 billion (2010 est.) $36.48 billion (2009 est.) $35.01 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 34% (2002)

Imports

$7.015 billion (2010 est.) $6.318 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Nigeria 20.75%, France 14.19%, China 7.18%, Thailand 5.09% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

4.5% (2010 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.4% (2010 est.) 0.9% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

9.7% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

7.617 million (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

68%

industry and services

NA (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$6.141 billion (31 December 2009) $7.071 billion (31 December 2008) $8.353 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

1.3 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.3 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

24,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

115,700 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

80,960 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

58,950 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

250 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

42% (2006 est.)

Public debt

63.3% of GDP (2010 est.) 66.5% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.985 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $3.267 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$7.653 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $7.437 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$5.448 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $5.308 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$5.094 billion (31 December 2010 est) $4.959 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

NA note: unemployment may have climbed to 40-50% as a result of the civil war

Broadcast media

state-owned television operates 2 stations; no private terrestrial TV stations, but satellite TV subscription service is available; state-owned radio operates 2 stations; some private radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.ci

Internet hosts

9,865 (2010)

Internet users

967,300 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

with multiple mobile-cellular service providers competing in the market, usage has increased sharply to roughly 65 per 100 persons

general assessment

well developed by African standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and operational fixed-lines have increased since that time with two fixed-line providers operating over open-wire lines, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optics; 90% digitalized

international

country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

282,100 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

13.346 million (2009)

Airports

27 (2010)

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 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

20 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 3 (2010)

Pipelines

condensate 86 km; gas 180 km; oil 92 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Abidjan, Espoir, San-Pedro

Railways

narrow gauge

660 km 1.000 meter gauge note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2008)

total

660 km

Roadways

paved

6,500 km

total

80,000 km

unpaved

73,500 km 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)

Waterways

980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2008)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 5,094,762 females age 16-49: 4,895,446 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 3,242,965 females age 16-49: 3,069,569 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

237,180 (2010 est.)

male

240,989

Military branches

Cote d'Ivoire Defense and Security Forces (FDSCI): Army, Navy, Air Force (2006)

Military expenditures

1.5% of GDP (2009)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary male and female military service; voluntary recruitment of former rebels into the new national army is restricted to ages 22-29 (2010)

Disputes - international

despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict still leaves displaced hundreds of thousands of Ivorians in and out of the country as well as driven out migrants from neighboring states who worked in Ivorian cocoa plantations; the March 2007 peace deal between Ivorian rebels and the government brought significant numbers of rebels out of hiding in neighboring states

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; utility as a narcotic transshipment point to Europe reduced by ongoing political instability; 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 (2008) page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

709,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions) (2007)

refugees (country of origin)

25,615 (Liberia)

Trafficking in persons

Cote d'Ivoire is a source, transit, and destination country for women and children trafficked for forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; trafficking within the country is more prevalent than international trafficking and the majority of victims are children; women and girls are trafficked from northern areas to southern cities for domestic servitude, restaurant labor, and sexual exploitation; boys are trafficked internally for agricultural and service labor and transnationally for forced labor in agriculture, mining, construction, and in the fishing industry; women and girls are trafficked to and from other West and Central African countries for domestic servitude and forced street vending

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - Cote d'Ivoire is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking in 2007, particularly with regard to its law enforcement efforts and protection of sex trafficking victims; in addition, Ivoirian law does not prohibit all forms of trafficking, and Cote d'Ivoire has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)