Map of Côte d'Ivoire | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries:

Coastline: 515 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 m (depth)
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

Natural resources: crude oil, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper

Land use: arable land: 9%; permanent crops: 4%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and woodland 26%; other 52%; includes irrigated NEGL%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 12,977,909 (July 1991), growth rate 3.9% (1991)

Nationality: noun--Ivorian(s; adjective--Ivorian

Ethnic groups: over 60 ethnic groups; most important are the Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, and Agni; foreign Africans, mostly Burkinabe about 2 million; non-Africans about 130,000 to 330,000 (French 30,000 and Lebanese 100,000 to 300,000)

Languages: French (official), over 60 native dialects; Dioula most widely spoken

Religions: indigenous 63%, Muslim 25%, Christian 12%,

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 48 births/1000 population (1991)

Death rate: 12 deaths/1000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1000 population (1991)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; severe deforestation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 97 deaths/1000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1991)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 54% (male 67%, female 40%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Republic of the Ivory Coast; note--the local official name is Republique de Cote d'Ivoire

Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960

Capital: Abidjan (capital city changed to Yamoussoukro in March 1983 but not recognized by US)

Administrative divisions: 49 departments (departements, singular--(departement; Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope, Agboville, 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, Tengrela, Tiassale, Touba, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula

Dependent areas

Independence: 7 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: National Day, 7 December

Constitution: 3 November 1960

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal at age 21

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Dr. Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since 27 November 1960; Prime Minister Allassane OUATTARE (since 7 November 1990)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Charles GOMIS; Chancery at 2,424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 797-0300; US--Ambassador Kenneth L. BROWN; Embassy at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan (mailing address is 01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan; telephone [225] 21-09-79 or 21-46-72

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 Ivory Coast Ivory CoastIvory Coast

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Ivory Coast is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm-kernel oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for coffee and cocoa and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government to diversify, the economy is still largely dependent on agriculture and related industries. The agricultural sector accounts for over one-third of GDP and about 80% of export earnings and employs about 85% of the labor force. A collapse of world cocoa and coffee prices in 1986 threw the economy into a recession, from which the country had not recovered by 1990.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: most important sector, contributing one-third to GDP and 80% to exports; cash crops include coffee, cocoa beans, timber, bananas, palm kernels, rubber; food crops--corn, rice, manioc, sweet potatoes; not self-sufficient in bread grain and dairy products

Industries: foodstuffs, wood processing, oil refinery, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, beverage

Industrial production growth rate: - 6% (1989; accounts for 17% of GDP

Labor force: 5,718,000; over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, forestry, livestock raising; about 11% of labor force are wage earners, nearly half in agriculture and the remainder in government, industry, commerce, and professions; 54% of population of working age (1985)

Unemployment rate: 14% (1985)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $2.8 billion (1989 est.), expenditures $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: cocoa 30%, coffee 20%, tropical woods 11%, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton
Partners: France, FRG, Netherlands, US, Belgium, Spain (1985)

Imports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: manufactured goods and semifinished products 50%, consumer goods 40%, raw materials and fuels 10%
Partners: France, other EC, Nigeria, US, Japan (1985)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $15.0 billion (1990 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)


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Electricity access

Electricity production

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: $199 million, 2.3% of GDP (1988)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 48 total, 41 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,945 GRT/ 90,684 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis on a small scale for the international drug trade