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Cote d'Ivoire
Background: Close ties to France since independence in 1960, diversification of agriculture for export, and encouragement of foreign investment have made Cote d'Ivoire the most prosperous of the tropical African states. About 20% of the population are workers from neighboring countries. On 25 December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. The new regime has promised to return the country to democratic rule in 2000.
Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 5 00 W Map references: Africa Area:
Area - comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico Land boundaries:
Coastline: 515 km Maritime claims:
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:
Natural resources: petroleum, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, hydropower Land use:
Irrigated land: 680 sq km (1993 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 cleared by the timber industry); water pollution from sewage and industrial and agricultural effluents Environment - international agreements:
Population:
15,980,950
Age structure:
Population growth rate: 2.58% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 40.78 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 16.57 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate:
1.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 95.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups: Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, Agni, Africans from other countries (mostly Burkinabe and Malians, about 3 million), non-Africans 130,000 to 330,000 (French 30,000 and Lebanese 100,000 to 300,000) Religions: Muslim 60%, Christian 22%, indigenous 18% (some of these are also numbered among the Christians and Muslims) Languages: French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: IV Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960 Capital:
Yamoussoukro
Administrative divisions:
50 departments (departements, singular - departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope, Agboville, Agnibilekrou, Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma, Bondoukou, Bongouanou, Bouafle, Bouake, Bouna, Boundiali, Dabakala, Daloa, Danane, Daoukro, Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue, Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa, Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia, Katiola, Korhogo, Lakota, Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro, Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro, Sassandra, Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre, Tabou, Tanda, Tingrela, Tiassale, Touba, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
Independence: 7 August (1960) (from France) National holiday: National Day, 7 August Constitution: 3 November 1960; has been amended numerous times, last time 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: 21 years of age; universal Executive branch:
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (175 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme) Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Jean Konan BANNY, acting head]; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Laurent GBAGBO]; Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Francis WODIE]; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Henriette DAGRI-DIABATE]; over 20 smaller parties International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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 to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government 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 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. The 50% devaluation of Franc Zone currencies on 12 January 1994 caused a one-time jump in the inflation rate to 26% in 1994, but the rate fell sharply in 1996-99. Moreover, government adherence to donor-mandated reforms led to a jump in growth to 5% annually in 1996-99. Growth may slow in 2000 because of the difficulty of meeting the conditions of international donors, continued low prices of key exports, and post-coup instability. GDP: purchasing power parity - $25.7 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,600 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1999 est.) Labor force: NA Unemployment rate: NA% Budget:
Industries: foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, construction materials, electricity Industrial production growth rate: 15% (1998 est.) Electricity - production: 3.36 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 3.165 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 40 million kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber Exports: $3.9 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Exports - commodities: cocoa 37%, coffee, tropical woods, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton, fish (1998) Exports - partners: France 17%, Netherlands 12%, US 9%, Italy 6% (1998) Imports: $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Imports - commodities: food, consumer goods; capital goods, fuel, transport equipment Imports - partners: France 29%, US 5%, Italy 5%, Germany 5% (1998) Debt - external: $16.8 billion (1998 est.) Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $1 billion (1996 est.) Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates:
CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 647.25 (January 2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 182,000 (1998) Telephones - mobile cellular: more than 60,000 (December 1998) Telephone system:
well-developed by African standards but operating well below capacity
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 8, shortwave 3 (1998) Radios: 2.26 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 14 (1999) Televisions: 900,000 (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: 980 km navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons Ports and harbors: Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro Merchant marine:
Airports: 36 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (includes Presidential Guard), Sapeur-Pompier (Military Fire Group) Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $94 million (FY96) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (FY96)
Disputes - international: none Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; minor transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin to Europe and occasionally to the US, and for Latin American cocaine destined for Europe Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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