CIA World Factbook 2002:
Cote d'Ivoire
Introduction 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. Falling cocoa prices and
political turmoil, however, sparked
an economic downturn in 1999 and
2000. 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. Presidential and
legislative elections held in
October and December 2000 provoked
violence due to the exclusion of
opposition leader Alassane OUATTARA.
In October 2000, Laurent GBAGBO
replaced junta leader Robert GUEI as
president, ending 10 months of
military rule. In October 2001,
President GBAGBO initiated a two-
month-long National Reconciliation
Forum, but its ability to conciliate
Ivorians with one another remains
unclear.
Geography Cote d'Ivoire
-----------------------
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
water: 4,460 sq km
land: 318,000 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: continental shelf: 200 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 9.28%
permanent crops: 13.84%
other: 76.89% (1998 est.)
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 party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, 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
People Cote d'Ivoire
--------------------
Population: 16,804,784
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 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 46% (male 3,874,651;
female 3,847,080)
15-64 years: 51.8% (male 4,468,242;
female 4,238,998)
65 years and over: 2.2% (male
185,306; female 190,507) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.45% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 39.99 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 16.74 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: after Liberia's civil war
started in 1990, more than 350,000
refugees fled to Cote d'Ivoire; by
the end of 1999 most Liberian
refugees were assumed to have
returned (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 92.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 44.72 years
female: 46.03 years (2002 est.)
male: 43.45 years
Total fertility rate: 5.61 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 10.76% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 1 million (2000)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 72,000 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ivorian(s)
adjective: Ivorian
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
20,000 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: 48.5%
male: 57%
female: 40%
Government Cote d'Ivoire
------------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
Cote d'Ivoire
conventional short form: Cote
d'Ivoire
local short form: Cote d'Ivoire
former: Ivory Coast
local long form: Republique de Cote
d'Ivoire
Government type: republic; multiparty presidential
regime established 1960
Capital: Yamoussoukro; note - although
Yamoussoukro has been the official
capital since 1983, Abidjan remains
the administrative center; the US,
like other countries, maintains its
Embassy in Abidjan
Administrative divisions: 58 departments (departements,
singular - departement); Abengourou,
Abidjan, Aboisso, Adiake, Adzope,
Agboville, Agnibilekrou, Alepe,
Bocanda, Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma,
Bondoukou, Bongouanou, Bouafle,
Bouake, Bouna, Boundiali, Dabakala,
Dabou, Daloa, Danane, Daoukro,
Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue,
Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa, Grand-
Bassam, Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia,
Jacqueville, Katiola, Korhogo,
Lakota, Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro,
Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro,
Sassandra, Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre,
Tabou, Tanda, Tiebissou, Tingrela,
Tiassale, Touba, Toulepleu, Toumodi,
Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
Independence: 7 August (1960) (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 7 August (1960)
Constitution: 3 November 1960; has been amended
numerous times, last time 27 July
1998
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); note
- took power following a popular
overthrow of the interim leader Gen.
Robert GUEI who had claimed a
dubious victory in presidential
elections; Gen. GUEI himself had
assumed power on 25 December 1999,
following a military coup against
the government of former President
Henri Konan BEDIE
head of government: Prime Minister
and Minister of Planning and
Development Affi N'GUESSAN (since 27
October 2000)
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 NA 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 NA
2005)
note: a Senate is scheduled to be
created in the next full election in
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
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: Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire-
African Democratic Rally or PDCI-RDA
[Aime 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 [Gen. Robert GUEI];
over 20 smaller parties
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS,
participation: Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB
(regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Youssoufou BAMBA
chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20007
FAX: [1] (202) 462-9444
telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Arlene
US: RENDER
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 Cote d'Ivoire
---------------------
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 to weather conditions.
Despite government attempts to
diversify the economy, it is still
largely dependent on agriculture and
related activities, which engage
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 in growth to 5%
annually during 1996-99. Growth was
negative in 2000 and 2001 because of
the difficulty of meeting the
conditions of international donors,
continued low prices of key exports,
and post-coup instability. Political
instability continues to impede
growth.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $25.5
billion (2001)
GDP - real growth rate: -1% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,550
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 28%
industry: 29%
services: 43% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 3.1%
percentage share: highest 10%: 28.8% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini 36.7 (1995)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 68% agricultural (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 13% in urban areas (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.72 billion
expenditures: $2.4 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$420 million (2001 est.)
Industries: foodstuffs, beverages; wood
products, oil refining, truck and
bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer,
building materials, electricity
Industrial production growth rate: 15% (1998 est.)
Electricity - production: 4.08 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 75.37%
hydro: 24.63%
other: 0% (1999)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 2.57 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 1.2 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products: coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm
kernels, corn, rice, manioc
(tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar,
cotton, rubber; timber
Exports: $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: cocoa 33%, coffee, timber,
petroleum, cotton, bananas,
pineapples, palm oil, cotton, fish
(1999)
Exports - partners: France 13%, US 8%, Netherlands 7%,
Germany 7%, Italy 6% (1999)
Imports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: food, consumer goods; capital goods,
fuel, transport equipment, raw
materials
Imports - partners: France 26%, Nigeria 10%, China 7%,
Italy 5%, Germany 4% (1999)
Debt - external: $13.3 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $1 billion (1996 est.)
Currency: 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 - 742.79
(January 2002), 733.04 (2001),
711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95
(1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1
January 1999, the XOF is pegged to
the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF
per euro
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Cote d'Ivoire
----------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 263,700 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 450,000 (2000)
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: satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 coaxial
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 Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2001)
Internet users: 10,000 (2001)
Transportation Cote d'Ivoire
----------------------------
Railways: total: 660 km
narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-meter
gauge; 25 km double-track
note: an additional 600 km of this
railroad extends into Burkina Faso,
ending at Kaya, north of Ouagadougou
(2000 est.)
Highways: total: 50,400 km
paved: 4,889 km
unpaved: 45,511 km (1996)
Waterways: 980 km (navigable rivers, canals,
and numerous coastal lagoons)
Ports and harbors: Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro
Airports: 36 (2001)
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 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 29
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 9 (2001)
Military Cote d'Ivoire
----------------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary
Gendarmerie, Republican Guard
(includes Presidential Guard)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 3,963,166 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 2,071,011 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching military males: 188,411 (2002 est.)
age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $127.7 million (FY01)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 1.3% (FY01)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Cote d'Ivoire
----------------------------------
Disputes - international: none
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