Cote d'Ivoire

Internet country code

.ci

Internet hosts

3,795 (2004)

Internet users

90,000 (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (1998)

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

328,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.236 million (2003)

Television broadcast stations

14 (1999)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $2.339 billion expenditures: $2.749 billion, including capital expenditures of $420 million (2003 est.)

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code

XOF

Current account balance

$501 million (2003)

Debt - external

$11.85 billion (2003 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

36.7 (1995)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA, $1 billion (1996 est.)

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 heavily 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 2000-03 because of the difficulty of meeting the conditions of international donors, continued low prices of key exports, and severe civil war. Political uncertainty will continue to cloud the economic outlook in 2004, but rising world prices for cocoa will help both the current account and the government balances.

Electricity - consumption

2.983 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

1.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

4.605 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)

Exports

$5.299 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

France 19.1%, Netherlands 17.7%, US 7.1%, Spain 5.6% (2003)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $24.51 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 36.6% industry: 19.9% services: 43.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-1.9% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.8% (1995)

Imports

$2.781 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

France 32.7%, Nigeria 14.4%, UK 7% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

15% (1998 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.4% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

8.7% of GDP (2003)

Labor force

6.64 million 68% agricultural (2003)

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 - production

1.35 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

14.87 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Oil - consumption

32,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

11,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

50 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Population below poverty line

37% (1995)

Public debt

82.5% of GDP (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold

$2.005 billion (2003)

Unemployment rate

13% in urban areas (1998)

Area

total: 322,460 sq km land: 318,000 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 extremes

lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 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 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

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 (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 3,110 km border countries: Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km

Land use

arable land: 9.75% permanent crops: 13.84% other: 76.41% (2001)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 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, hydropower

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

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

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

Constitution

a new constitution was adopted 4 August 2000

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Arlene 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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Pascal Dago KOKORA chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300 FAX: [1] (202) 462-9444

Executive branch

chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000); note - seized 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 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 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%

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

Government type

republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960

Independence

7 August 1960 (from France)

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

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

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

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) 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

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

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 [leader NA]; over 20 smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (includes Presidential Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$173.6 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.2% (2003)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 4,135,309 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 2,164,014 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 204,434 (2004 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 45.1% (male 3,856,130; female 3,965,930) 15-64 years: 52.6% (male 4,651,921; female 4,468,085) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 182,995; female 202,663) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

39.64 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

18.48 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

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)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

47,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

570,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 97.1 deaths/1,000 live births male: 113.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 79.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 42.48 years male: 40.27 years female: 44.76 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 50.9% male: 57.9% female: 43.6% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 17 years male: 17.4 years female: 16.7 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Ivoirian(s) adjective: Ivoirian

Net migration rate

-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

17,327,724 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 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

2.11% (2004 est.)

Religions

Christian 20-30%, Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40% (2001) note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.42 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

continuing rebel fighting extends to neighboring states and has kept out foreign workers from nearby countries; the Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso and Liberia of supporting Ivorian rebels

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 71,711 (Liberia) IDPs: 500,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions) (2004)

Airports

37 (2003 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.)

Highways

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

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro

Railways

total: 660 km narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-meter gauge note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2003)

Waterways

980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2003)