2019 Edition

Background

Close ties to France following independence in 1960, the development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment all 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 attempted to rig the elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and an election brought Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivoirian dissidents and disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002 that developed into a rebellion and then a civil war. In 2003, a cease-fire resulted in the country being divided with the rebels holding the north, the government the south, and peacekeeping forces a buffer zone between the two. In March 2007, President GBAGBO and former New Forces rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister and the two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. Difficulties in preparing electoral registers delayed balloting until 2010. In November 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election over GBAGBO, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in a five-month resumption of violent conflict. In April 2011, after widespread fighting, GBAGBO was formally forced from office by armed OUATTARA supporters with the help of UN and French forces. OUATTARA won a second term in 2015 and is focused on rebuilding the country's economy and infrastructure while reforming the security forces. The UN peacekeeping mission departed in June 2017. GBAGBO was in The Hague on trial for crimes against humanity, but was acquitted in January 2019. Côte d’Ivoire is scheduled to hold presidential elections in November 2020.

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

Highest Point

Monts Nimba 1,752 m

Lowest Point

Gulf of Guinea 0 m

Mean Elevation

250 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 from industrial, mining, 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

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 (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Burkina Faso 545 km, Ghana 720 km, Guinea 816 km, Liberia 778 km, Mali 599 km

Total

3,458 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

64.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

9.1% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

14.2% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

41.5% (2011 est.)

Forest

32.7% (2011 est.)

Other

2.5% (2011 est.)

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

Population Distribution

the population is primarily located in the forested south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the northern savanna remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations located along transportation corridors

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

Age Structure

0 14 Years

39.59% (male 5,213,630 /female 5,182,872)

15 24 Years

19.91% (male 2,613,772 /female 2,615,680)

25 54 Years

34.25% (male 4,577,394 /female 4,416,408)

55 64 Years

3.47% (male 460,048 /female 451,604)

65 Years And Over

2.78% (male 325,510 /female 403,664) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

30.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

12.8% (2016)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

23.3% (2018)

Current Health Expenditure

4.4% (2016)

Death Rate

8.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Demographic Profile

Cote d’Ivoire’s population is likely to continue growing for the foreseeable future because almost 60% of the populace is younger than 25, the total fertility rate is holding steady at about 3.5 children per woman, and contraceptive use is under 20%. The country will need to improve education, health care, and gender equality in order to turn its large and growing youth cohort into human capital. Even prior to 2010 unrest that shuttered schools for months, access to education was poor, especially for women. As of 2015, only 53% of men and 33% of women were literate. The lack of educational attainment contributes to Cote d’Ivoire’s high rates of unskilled labor, adolescent pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS prevalence.Following its independence in 1960, Cote d’Ivoire’s stability and the blossoming of its labor-intensive cocoa and coffee industries in the southwest made it an attractive destination for migrants from other parts of the country and its neighbors, particularly Burkina Faso. The HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY administration continued the French colonial policy of encouraging labor immigration by offering liberal land ownership laws. Foreigners from West Africa, Europe (mainly France), and Lebanon composed about 25% of the population by 1998.Ongoing economic decline since the 1980s and the power struggle after HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY’s death in 1993 ushered in the politics of "Ivoirite," institutionalizing an Ivoirian identity that further marginalized northern Ivoirians and scapegoated immigrants. The hostile Muslim north-Christian south divide snowballed into a 2002 civil war, pushing tens of thousands of foreign migrants, Liberian refugees, and Ivoirians to flee to war-torn Liberia or other regional countries and more than a million people to be internally displaced. Subsequently, violence following the contested 2010 presidential election prompted some 250,000 people to seek refuge in Liberia and other neighboring countries and again internally displaced as many as a million people. By July 2012, the majority had returned home, but ongoing inter-communal tension and armed conflict continue to force people from their homes.

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

5.3 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

18.9 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

83.8 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

78.5 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

68.8% of population

Improved Total

81.9% of population

Improved Urban

93.1% of population

Unimproved Rural

31.2% of population

Unimproved Total

18.1% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

6.9% of population

Education Expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic Groups

Akan 28.9%, Voltaique or Gur 16.1%, Northern Mande 14.5%, Kru 8.5%, Southern Mande 6.9%, unspecified 0.9%, non-Ivoirian 24.2% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

2.6% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

16,000 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

460,000 (2018 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

54.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

70.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

62.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

French (official), 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

62.4 years

Male

58 years

Total Population

60.1 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

32.5% (2015)

Male

53.1%

Total Population

43.1%

Major Infectious Diseases

Animal Contact Diseases

rabies (2016)

Degree Of Risk

very high (2016)

Food Or Waterborne Diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)

Respiratory Diseases

meningococcal meningitis (2016)

Vectorborne Diseases

malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever (2016)

Water Contact Diseases

schistosomiasis (2016)

Major Urban Areas Population

231,000 YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) (2018), 5.059 million ABIDJAN (seat of government) (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

617 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

19.8 years

Male

20 years

Total

19.9 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

19.8 years (2011/12 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Ivoirian

Noun

Ivoirian(s)

Net Migration Rate

1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

10.3% (2016)

Physicians Density

0.23 physicians/1,000 population (2014)

Population

26,260,582 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.3% (2018 est.)

Religions

Muslim 42.9%, Catholic 17.2%, Evangelical 11.8%, Methodist 1.7%, other Christian 3.2%, animist 3.6%, other religion 0.5%, none 19.1% (2014 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

10.3% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

22.5% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

32.8% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

89.7% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

77.5% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

67.2% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

9 years (2016)

Male

11 years

Total

10 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.01 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.04 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.81 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.03 male(s)/female

Total Population

1.01 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

3.83 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

5.1% (2016 est.)

Male

2.8%

Total

3.9%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

3.38% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

51.2% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

12 districts and 2 autonomous districts*; Abidjan*, Bas-Sassandra, Comoe, Denguele, Goh-Djiboua, Lacs, Lagunes, Montagnes, Sassandra-Marahoue, Savanes, Vallee du Bandama, Woroba, Yamoussoukro*, Zanzan

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

6 49 N, 5 16 W

Name

Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative capital); note - although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the administrative capital as well as the officially designated economic capital; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan

Time Difference

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

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Cote d'Ivoire

Dual Citizenship Recognized

no

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

5 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; consideration of drafts or proposals requires an absolute majority vote by the parliamentary membership; passage of amendments affecting presidential elections, presidential term of office and vacancies, and amendment procedures requires approval by absolute majority in a referendum; passage of other proposals by the president requires at least four-fifths majority vote by Parliament; constitutional articles on the sovereignty of the state and its republican and secular form of government cannot be amended (2017)

History

previous 1960, 2000; latest draft completed 24 September 2016, approved by the National Assembly 11 October 2016, approved by referendum 30 October 2016, promulgated 8 November 2016

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

Conventional Short Form

Cote d'Ivoire

Etymology

name reflects the intense ivory trade that took place in the region from the 15th to 17th centuries

Former

Ivory Coast

Local Long Form

Republique de Cote d'Ivoire

Local Short Form

Cote d'Ivoire

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Richard K. BELL (since 3 September 2019)

Embassy

BP730, Abidjan Cidex 01, Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

Fax

[225] 22 49 43 23

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 Mamadou HAIDARA (since 28 March 2018)

Fax

[1] (202) 462-9444

Telephone

[1] (202) 797-0300

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Chief Of State

President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010); Vice President Daniel Kablan DUNCAN (since 16 January 2017); note - the 2016 constitution calls for the establishment of the position of vice-president

Election Results

Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 83.7%, Pascal Affi N'GUESSAN (FPI) 9.3%, Konan Bertin KOUADIO (independent) 3.9%, other 3.1%

Elections Appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a single renewable 5-year term ; election last held on 25 October 2015 (next to be held in 2020); vice president elected on same ballot as president; prime minister appointed by the president; note – because President OUATTARA promulgated the new constitution during his second term, he has claimed that the clock is reset on term limits, allowing him to run for up to two additional terms

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Amadou Gon COULIBALY (since 11 January 2017)

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

Government Type

presidential republic

Independence

7 August 1960 (from France)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

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

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Judicial, Audit, Constitutional, and Administrative Chambers; consists of the court president, 3 vice presidents for the Judicial, Audit, and Administrative chambers, and 9 associate justices or magistrates)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

judges nominated by the Superior Council of the Magistrature, a 7-member body consisting of the national president (chairman), 3 "bench" judges, and 3 public prosecutors; judges appointed for life

Subordinate Courts

Courts of Appeal (organized into civil, criminal, and social chambers); first instance courts; peace courts

Legal System

civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court

Legislative Branch

Description

bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate or Senat (99 seats; 66 members indirectly elected by the National Assembly and members of municipal, autonomous districts, and regional councils, and 33 members appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) National Assembly (255 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

Election Results

Senate - percent by party NA; seats by party - RHDP 50, independent 16; composition - men 80, women 19, percent of women 19.2% National Assembly - percent of vote by party - RHDP 50.3%, FPI 5.8%, UDPCI 1%, other 1.4%, independent 38.5%; seats by party - RHDP, 167, UDPCI 6, FPI 3, UPCI 3, independent 76; composition - men 228, women 27, percent of women 10.6%; note - total Parliament percent of women 13%

Elections

Senate - first ever held on 25 March 2018 (next to be held in 2023) National Assembly - last held on 18 December 2016 (next to be held in 2021)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO

Name

"L'Abidjanaise" (Song of Abidjan)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

National Symbol S

elephant; national colors: orange, white, green

Political Parties And Leaders

Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE] Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [former pres. Laurent GBAGBO] Liberty and Democracy for the Republic or LIDER [Mamadou KOULIBALY] Movement of the Future Forces or MFA [Innocent Augustin ANAKY KOBENA] Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP [Alassane OUATTARA] (alliance includes MFA, PDCI, RDR, UDPCI, UPCI) Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Henriette DIABATE] Union for Cote d'Ivoire or UPCI [Gnamien KONAN] Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI [Albert Toikeusse MABRI]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

Expenditures

9.464 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

7.749 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-4.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2009

4.25%

31 December 2010

4.25%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

5.3%

31 December 2017

5.4%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$414 million

2017

-$1.86 billion

Debt External

31 December 2016

$11.02 billion

31 December 2017

$13.07 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

1995

36.7

2008

41.5

Economy Overview

For the last 5 years Cote d'Ivoire's growth rate has been among the highest in the world. Cote d'Ivoire is heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly two-thirds 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 climatic conditions. Cocoa, oil, and coffee are the country's top export revenue earners, but the country has targeted agricultural processing of cocoa, cashews, mangoes, and other commodities as a high priority. Mining gold and exporting electricity are growing industries outside agriculture.Following the end of more than a decade of civil conflict in 2011, Cote d’Ivoire has experienced a boom in foreign investment and economic growth. In June 2012, the IMF and the World Bank announced $4.4 billion in debt relief for Cote d'Ivoire under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.

Exchange Rates

2013

494.42

2014

591.45

2015

593.01

2016

593.01

2017

594.3

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$11.77 billion

2017

$11.74 billion

Exports Commodities

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

Exports Partners

Netherlands 11.8%, US 7.9%, France 6.4%, Belgium 6.4%, Germany 5.8%, Burkina Faso 4.5%, India 4.4%, Mali 4.2% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

30.8% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

14.9% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

61.7% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-30.1% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

22.4% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

0.3% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

20.1% (2017 est.)

Industry

26.6% (2017 est.)

Services

53.3% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$40.47 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$3,500

2016

$3,700

2017

$3,900

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$83.19 billion

2016

$90.12 billion

2017

$97.16 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

8.8%

2016

8.3%

2017

7.8%

Gross National Saving

2015

19.5% of GDP

2016

19.2% of GDP

2017

15.9% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

31.8% (2008)

Lowest 10

2.2%

Imports

2016

$7.81 billion

2017

$9.447 billion

Imports Commodities

fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs

Imports Partners

Nigeria 15%, France 13.4%, China 11.3%, US 4.3% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

4.2% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

0.7%

2017

0.8%

Labor Force

8.747 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

68% (2007 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2013

$11.82 billion

31 December 2014

$11.71 billion

31 December 2015

$12.49 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

46.3% (2015 est.)

Public Debt

2016

47% of GDP

2017

47% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$4.935 billion

31 December 2017

$6.257 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$8.861 billion

31 December 2017

$11.63 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

NA

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

NA

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$10.9 billion

31 December 2017

$14.56 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$8.861 billion

31 December 2017

$11.63 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

19.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2013

9.4%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

11.54 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

26,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

62,350 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

52,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

100 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

Electrification Rural Areas

38.1% (2016)

Electrification Total Population

64.3% (2016)

Electrification Urban Areas

92% (2016)

Population Without Electricity

10 million (2017)

Electricity Consumption

6.245 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

872 million kWh (2015 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

60% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

40% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

19 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

1.914 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

9.73 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

2.322 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

2.322 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

51,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

31,450 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

7,405 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

69,360 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

1 (2017 est.)

Total

142,825

Broadcast Media

state-controlled Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirieinne (RTI) is made up of 2 radios stations (Radio Cote d'Ivoire and Frequence2) and 2 television stations (RTI1 and RTI2), with nationwide coverage, broadcasts mainly in French; after 2011 post-electoral crisis, President OUATTARA's administration reopened RTI Bouake', the broadcaster's office in Cote d'Ivoire's 2nd largest city, where facilities were destroyed during the 2002 rebellion; Cote d'Ivoire is also home to 178 proximity radios stations, 16 religious radios stations, 5 commercial radios stations, and 5 international radios stations, according to the Haute Autorite' de la Communication Audiovisuelle (HACA); govt now runs radio UNOCIFM, a radio station previously owned by the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire; in Dec 2016, the govt announced 4 companies had been granted licenses to operate -Live TV, Optimum Media Cote d'Ivoire, the Audiovisual Company of Cote d'Ivoire (Sedaci), and Sorano-CI, out of the 4 companies only one has started operating (2019)

Internet Country Code

.ci

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

26.5% (July 2016 est.)

Total

6,297,676

Telephone System

Domestic

less than 1 per 100 fixed-line, with multiple mobile-cellular service providers competing in the market, usage has increased sharply to about 131 per 100 persons (2018)

General Assessment

well-developed by African standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and operational fixed-lines have increased since that time with 2 fixed-line providers operating over open-wire lines, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optics; 90% digitalized; Côte d'Ivoire continues to benefit from strong economic growth; the fixed Internet and broadband sectors have remained lagging (2018)

International

country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, ACE, MainOne, and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and South and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

1 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

305,562

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

131 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

31,747,233

Airports

27 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

4 (2017)

2 438 To 3 047 M

2 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

1 (2017)

Total

7 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

6 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

11 (2013)

Total

20 (2013)

Under 914 M

3 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

TU (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

oil tanker 2, other 13 (2018)

Total

15

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

4,719,120 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

359,260 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

10 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

1 (2015)

Pipelines

101 km condensate, 256 km gas, 118 km oil, 5 km oil/gas/water, 7 km water (2013)

Ports And Terminals

Major Seaport S

Abidjan, San-Pedro

Oil Terminal S

Espoir Offshore Terminal

Railways

Narrow Gauge

660 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)

Total

660 km (2008)

Roadways

Paved

6,502 km (2007)

Total

81,996 km (2007)

Unpaved

75,494 km (2007)

Waterways

980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2011)

Military And Security Forces

Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (Forces Armees de Cote d'Ivoire, FACI): Army (Armee de Terre), Navy (Marine Nationale), Cote Air Force (Force Aerienne Cote), Special Forces (Forces Speciale) (2019)

Military Expenditures

2014

1.48% of GDP

2015

1.74% of GDP

2016

1.69% of GDP

2017

1.28% of GDP

2018

1.36% of GDP

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary male and female military service; conscription is not enforced; voluntary recruitment of former rebels into the new national army is restricted to ages 22-29 (2012)

Disputes International

disputed maritime border between Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana

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

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

Idps

302,000 (post-election conflict in 2010-11, as well as civil war from 2002-04; land disputes; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2018)

Stateless Persons

692,000 (2018); note - many Ivoirians lack documentation proving their nationality, which prevent them from accessing education and healthcare; birth on Ivorian soil does not automatically result in citizenship; disputes over citizenship and the associated rights of the large population descended from migrants from neighboring countries is an ongoing source of tension and contributed to the country's 2002 civil war; some observers believe the government's mass naturalizations of thousands of people over the last couple of years is intended to boost its electoral support base; the government in October 2013 acceded to international conventions on statelessness and in August 2013 reformed its nationality law, key steps to clarify the nationality of thousands of residents; since the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration to eradicate statelessness in West Africa in February 2015, 6,400 people have received nationality papers