Cote d'Ivoire

§1. Cote d'Ivoire Introduction

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 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.

§2. Cote d'Ivoire Geography

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 km²
  land: 318,000 km²
  water: 4,460 km²

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: 10.23%
  permanent crops: 11.16%
  other: 78.61% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  730 km² (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

§3. Cote d'Ivoire People

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.)

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.)

Median age:
  total: 19.2 years
  male: 19.4 years
  female: 18.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.03% (2006 est.)

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

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

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.95 male(s)/female
  total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 89.11 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 105.73 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 71.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 48.82 years
  male: 46.24 years
  female: 51.48 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  4.5 children born/woman (2006 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 (2005)

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

§4. Cote d'Ivoire Government

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; accepts compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000)
  head of government: Transitional Prime Minister Charles Konan BANNY (since
    7 December 2005)
  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 by October 2006); 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 by 31 October 2006)
  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 2006

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, CEMAC, 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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Daouda DIABATE
  chancery: 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300
  FAX: [1] (202) 244-3088

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
  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

§5. Cote d'Ivoire Economy

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $26.11 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $16.13 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  0.8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $1,500 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 27.7%
  industry: 16.7%
  services: 55.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  6.95 million (68% agricultural) (2005 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:
  45.2 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  8.7% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.434 billion
  expenditures: $2.83 billion; including capital expenditures of $420 million
    (2005 est.)

Public debt:
  70.4% of GDP (2005 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:
  5.127 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  3.418 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  1.35 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  32,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  20,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  220 million bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
  1.3 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  1.3 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  29.73 billion m³ (2005)

Current account balance:
  $-289 million (2005 est.)

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

Exports - commodities:
  cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil,
  fish

Exports - partners:
  US 11.6%, Netherlands 10.2%, France 9.5%, Italy 5.5%, Belgium 4.7%, Germany
  4.7% (2004)

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

Debt - external:
  $13.26 billion (2005 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

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)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Cote d'Ivoire Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  238,000 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  1,531,800 (2004)

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)

Television broadcast stations:
  14 (1999)

Internet country code:
  .ci

Internet hosts:
  2,015 (2005)

Internet users:
  300,000 (2005)

§7. Cote d'Ivoire Transportation

Airports:
  35 (2005)

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 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 28
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 15
  under 914 m: 5 (2005)

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

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)

Roadways:
  total: 50,400 km
  paved: 4,889 km
  unpaved: 45,511 km (1999)

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

Ports and terminals:
  Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro

§8. Cote d'Ivoire Military

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:
  $246.6 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1.6% (2005 est.)

§9. Cote d'Ivoire Transnational Issues

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): 70,402 (Liberia)
  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


<Factbook 2006>
