| |
| |
 |
|
|
 |
National Map
Of |
Cote d'Ivoire |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Flag
Of |
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
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
Cote d'Ivoire |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
National Anthem
Of |
Cote d'Ivoire |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Categories National Symbol Of |
Cote d'Ivoire |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
Location:
|
Western
Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Ghana and Liberia |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
8 00 N, 5
00 W |
|
Map references:
|
Africa
|
|
Area:
|
total:
322,460 sq km
land: 318,000 sq km
water: 4,460 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly
larger than New Mexico |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total:
3,110 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668
km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km |
|
Coastline:
|
515 km
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm |
|
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) |
|
Terrain:
|
mostly
flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest
point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore,
cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica
sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower
|
|
Land use:
|
arable
land: 9.75%
permanent crops: 13.84%
other: 76.41% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
730 sq km
(1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
coast has
heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy
season torrential flooding is possible |
|
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 |
|
Geography - note:
|
most of
the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region;
apart from the capital area, the forested interior is
sparsely populated |
|
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.) |
|
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.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
19.05 years
male: 19.36 years
female: 18.76 years (2005 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
2.06%
(2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
35.51
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
14.94
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
90.83 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 107.64 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 73.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 48.62 years
male: 46.05 years
female: 51.27 years (2005 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
4.58
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
7% (2003
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
570,000
(2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
47,000
(2003 est.) |
|
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) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun:
Ivoirian(s)
adjective: Ivoirian |
|
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) |
|
Religions:
|
Christian
20-30%, Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40% (2001)
note: the majority of foreigners (migratory
workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%) |
|
Languages:
|
French
(official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most
widely spoken |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50.9%
male: 57.9%
female: 43.6% (2003 est.) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire
local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
local short form: Cote d'Ivoire
former: Ivory Coast |
|
Government type:
|
republic;
multiparty presidential regime established 1960 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Independence:
|
7 August
1960 (from France) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence Day, 7 August (1960) |
|
Constitution:
|
new
constitution adopted 4 August 2000 |
|
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 |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years
of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief
of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October
2000);
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
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president
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
election results: Laurent GBAGBO elected
president; percent of vote - Laurent GBAGBO 59.4%,
Robert GUEI 32.7%, Francis WODIE 5.7%, other 2.2% |
|
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)
elections: elections last held 10 December 2000
with by-elections on 14 January 2001 (next to be held
October 2005)
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 |
|
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
|
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador Daouda DIABATE
chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300
FAX: [1] (202) 462-9444 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS
embassy: 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan
mailing address: B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01
telephone: [225] 20 21 09 79
FAX: [225] 20 22 32 59 |
|
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 - 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. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$24.78
billion (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
-1% (2004
est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 27.8%
industry: 19.4%
services: 52.8% (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
6.7
million (68% agricultural) (2004 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
13% in
urban areas (1998) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
37%
(1995) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: 3.1%
highest 10%: 28.8% (1995) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
36.7
(1995) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
1.4%
(2004 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
11.3% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $2.412 billion
expenditures: $2.767 billion, including capital
expenditures of $420 million (2004 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
74.8% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
coffee,
cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc
(tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber
|
|
Industries:
|
foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining,
truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building
materials, electricity, ship construction and repair
|
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
15% (1998
est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
4.759
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 61.9%
hydro: 38.1%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
2.976
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
1.45
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh
(2002) |
|
Oil - production:
|
29,300
bbl/day (2004 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
32,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
220
million bbl (2004 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
1.35
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
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 - proved reserves:
|
14.87
billion cu m (2004) |
|
Current account balance:
|
$-421.5
million (2004 est.) |
|
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) |
|
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) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$1.95
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$11.81
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
ODA, $1
billion (1996 est.) |
|
Currency (code):
|
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note -
responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West
African States |
|
Currency code:
|
XOF |
|
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) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar
year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
328,000
(2003) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
1.236
million (2003) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: well developed by African
standards but operating well below capacity
domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio
relay; 90% digitalized
international: country code - 225; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean); 2 submarine cables (June 1999) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 2, FM
9, shortwave 3 (1998) |
|
Radios:
|
2.26
million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
14 (1999)
|
|
Televisions:
|
1.09
million (2000) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.ci |
|
Internet hosts:
|
3,795
(2004) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
5 (2001)
|
|
Internet users:
|
90,000
(2002) |
|
Railways:
|
total:
660 km
narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-meter gauge
note: an additional 622 km of this railroad
extends into Burkina Faso (2004) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
50,400 km
paved: 4,889 km
unpaved: 45,511 km (1999 est.) |
|
Waterways:
|
980 km
(navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons)
(2003) |
|
Pipelines:
|
condensate 107 km; gas 223 km; oil 104 km (2004) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Abidjan,
Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro |
|
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 branches:
|
Army,
Navy, Air Force |
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
18 years
of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 18 months (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.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$180.2
million (2004) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
1.2%
(2004) |
|
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 |
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
|
refugees (country of origin): 71,711 (Liberia)
IDPs: 500,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in
western regions) (2004) |
|
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 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
