Background: Close ties to France following independence in 1960 the development of cocoa production for export and foreign investment all made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the West African states but did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999 a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and brought Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002 that developed into a rebellion and then a civil war. The war ended in 2003 with a cease-fire that left the country divided with the rebels holding the north the government the south and peacekeeping forces a buffer zone between the two. In March 2007 President GBAGBO and former New Forces rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister and the two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces and holding elections. Difficulties in preparing electoral registers delayed balloting until 2010. In November 2010 Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election over GBAGBO but GBAGBO refused to hand over power resulting in a five-month stand-off. In April 2011 after widespread fighting GBAGBO was formally forced from office by armed OUATTARA supporters with the help of UN and French forces. Several thousand UN peacekeepers and several hundred French troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to support the transition process. OUATTARA is focused on rebuilding the country's economy and infrastructure while rebuilding the security forces. GBAGBO is in The Hague awaiting trial for crimes against humanity.

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N 5 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 322,463 km²
Land: 318,003 km²
Water: 4,460 km²
Rank: 69
Comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 3,458 km
Border countries: (5) Burkina Faso 545 km; Ghana 720 km; Guinea 816 km; Liberia 778 km; Mali 599 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
Extremes highest point: Monts Nimba 1752 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
Agricultural land: 64.8%
Forest: 32.7%
Other: 2.5%

Irrigated land: 727.5 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 81.14 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible

Geography
Note: most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area the forested interior is sparsely populated

Population: 23,295,302
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 higher death rates lower population growth rates and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Rank: 55
Growth rate: 1.91% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 53
Below poverty line: 42% (2006 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Ivoirian
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)

Languages: French (official) 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken

Religions: Muslim 38.6% Christian 32.8% indigenous 11.9% none 16.7% (2008 est.)
Note: the majority of foreigners are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%)

Age structure
0-14 years: 37.94%
15-24 years: 20.95%
25-54 years: 33.53%
55-64 years: 4.25%
65 years and over: 3.34% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 83.5%
Youth dependency ratio: 77.9%
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.6%
Potential support ratio: 18%

Median age
Total: 20.3 years
Male: 20.3 years
Female: 20.2 years

Population growth rate: 1.91% (2015 est.)
Rank: 53

Birth rate: 28.67 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 43

Death rate: 9.55 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 53

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 99

Urbanization
Urban population: 54.2% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.69% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) 259,000 (2014); ABIDJAN (seat of government) 4.86 million; Bouake 762,000 (2015)

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Tropical Timber 83 Tropical Timber 94 Wetlands Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male/female
15-24 years: 1.02 male/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male/female
55-64 years: 1 male/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male/female
Total population: 1.02 male/female

Infant mortality rate
Total: 58.7 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 64.77 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 52.44 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 22

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 58.34 years
Male: 57.21 years
Female: 59.51 years
Rank: 201

Total fertility rate: 3.54 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 43

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 18.2% (2011/12)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.14 physicians/1000 population (2008)

Hospital bed density: 0.4 beds/1000 population (2006)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.67% (2013 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 21
People living with hivaids: 371,600 (2013 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 18
Deaths: 27,900 (2013 est.)
Deaths rank: 14

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria dengue fever and yellow fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Animal contact disease: rabies
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 8% (2014)
Rank: 149

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 15.7% (2012)
Rank: 43

Education expenditures: 4.6% of GDP (2008)
Rank: 89

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 43.1%
Male: 53.1%
Female: 32.5%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 8 years

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
Note: pronounced coat-div-whar
Former: Ivory Coast

Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960

Capital
Name: 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
Geographic coordinates: 6 49 N 5 16 W
Time difference: UTC 0

Administrative divisions: 12 districts and 2 autonomous districts*; Abidjan* Bas-Sassandra Comoe Denguele Goh-Djiboua Lacs Lagunes Montagnes Sassandra-Marahoue Savanes Vallee du Bandama Woroba Yamoussoukro* Zanzan

Independence: 7 August 1960 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 7 August (1960)

Constitution: previous 1960; latest approved by referendum 23 July 2000; amended 2012 (2012)

Legal system: civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA
Head of government: Prime Minister Daniel Kablan DUNCAN
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 31 October and 28 November 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Alassane OUATTARA elected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA 54.1% Laurent GBAGBO (FPI) 45.9%; note - Prime Minister SORO resigned from the incumbent administration and was subsequently appointed to the same position by OUATTARA; on 12 March 2011 SORO was elected to the National Assembly and resigned as prime minister the same day; former president GBAGBO refused to cede office resulting in a 5-month standoff but was finally forced to stand down in April 2011

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
Elections: last held on 11 December 2011
Election results: percent of vote by party - RDR 42.1% PDCI 28.6% UDPCI 3.1% RDP 1.7% other 24.5% ; seats by party - RDR 127 PDCI 76 UDPCI 7 RDP 4 other 2 independents 39

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Judge selection and term offfice: judges nominated by the Superior Council of the Magistrature a 7-member body consisting of the national president 3 'bench' judges and 3 public prosecutors; judges appointed for life
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal ; first instance courts; peace courts

Political parties and leaders: over 144 smaller registered parties

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU ECOWAS EITI (compliant country) Entente FAO FZ G-24 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MINUSMA MONUSCO NAM OIC OIF OPCW UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO Union Latina UNWTO UPU WADB (regional) WAEMU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Daouda DIABATE
In the us chancery: 2,424 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 797-0300
In the us FAX: [1] 462-9,444
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Terence Patrick MCCULLEY
From the us embassy: Cocody Riviera Golf 01 Abidjan
From the us mailing address: B. P. 1712 Abidjan 01
From the us telephone: [225] 22 49 40 00
From the us FAX: [225] 22 49 42 02

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side) white and green; orange symbolizes the land (savannah) of the north and fertility white stands for peace and unity green represents the forests of the south and the hope for a bright future
Note: similar to the flag of Ireland which is longer and has the colors reversed - green 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

National symbols: elephant; national colors: orange white green

National anthem
Name: 'L'Abidjanaise'
Lyrics and music: Mathieu EKRA Joachim BONY and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO
Note: adopted 1960; although the nation's capital city moved from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in 1983 the anthem still owes its name to the former capital

Economy overview: Cote d'Ivoire is heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities which engage roughly two-thirds of the population. Cote d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. Consequently the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for these products and in climatic conditions. Cocoa oil and coffee are the country's top export revenue earners but the country is also mining gold. The country boasted two offshore oil finds in 2012. Following the end of more than a decade of civil conflict in 2011 Cote d’Ivoire has experienced a boom in foreign investment and economic growth. In June 2012 the IMF and the World Bank announced $4.4 billion in debt relief for Cote d'Ivoire under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 92

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 8

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 191

Gross national saving:
Rank: 111

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 65.5%
Government consumption: 12.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 18.2%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 49.6%
Imports of goods and services: -45.6%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 25.9%
Industry: 21.9%
Services: 52.1%

Agriculture products: coffee cocoa beans bananas palm kernels corn rice cassava (manioc tapioca) sweet potatoes sugar cotton rubber; timber

Industries: foodstuffs beverages; wood products oil refining gold mining truck and bus assembly textiles fertilizer building materials electricity

Industrial production growth rate: 8.4% (2014 est.)
Rank: 20

Labor force: 8.118 million (2014 est.)
Rank: 59
By occupation agriculture: 68%
By occupation industry and services: NA%

Unemployment rate: NA%

Population below poverty line: 42% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.2%
Highest 10: 31.8%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 51

Budget
Revenues: $7.218 billion
Expenditures: $8.173 billion
Surplus or deficit: -2.8% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 104

Taxes and other revenues: 21.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 151

Public debt:
Rank: 87

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 42

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 90

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 165

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 85

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 100

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 105

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 79

Current account balance:
Rank: 71

Exports:
Rank: 82
Commodities: cocoa coffee timber petroleum cotton bananas pineapples palm oil fish
Partners: Ghana 8.8% Netherlands 8.5% Nigeria 8.4% US 6.8% Germany 6.1% Gabon 5.7% France 5.1% Belgium 4.5% (2013)

Imports:
Rank: 103
Commodities: fuel capital equipment foodstuffs
Partners: Nigeria 23.1% France 12.1% China 8.7% Bahamas The 6.4% (2013)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 97

Debt external:
Rank: 100

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 5.87 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 114
Consumption: 3.89 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 126
Exports: 615 million kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 65
Imports: 0 kWh (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 160
Installed generating capacity: 1.522 million kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 116
Generation sources fossil fuels: 60.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 134
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 113
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 39.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 59
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 186

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 37,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 63
Crude oil exports: 32,190 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 50
Crude oil imports: 49,780 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 58
Crude oil proven reserves: 100 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 71

Refined petroleum
Products production: 55,890 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 82
Products consumption: 22,760 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 126
Products exports: 38,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 63
Products imports: 4,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 153

Natural gas
Production: 1.619 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 59
Consumption: 1.619 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 82
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 118
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 209
Proven reserves: 28.32 billion m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 68

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 6.403 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 119

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 240,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1
Fixed lines rank: 124
Mobile cellular total: 22.1 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 97
Mobile cellular rank: 54

Telephone system
General assessment: well-developed by African standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and operational fixed lines have increased since that time with two fixed-line providers operating over open-wire lines microwave radio relay and fiber-optics; 90% digitalized
Domestic: with multiple mobile-cellular service providers competing in the market usage has increased sharply to roughly 80 per 100 persons
International: country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (2011)

Broadcast media: 2 state-owned TV stations; no private terrestrial TV stations but satellite TV subscription service is available; 2 state-owned radio stations; some private radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ci
Users total: 621,500
Users percent of population: 2.7%
Users rank: 129

Military expenditures:
Rank: 55

Military service age and obligation: 18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary male and female military service; conscription is not enforced; voluntary recruitment of former rebels into the new national army is restricted to ages 22-29 (2012)

Airports: 27 (2013)
Rank: 124
With paved runways total: 7
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways total: 20
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 11
With unpaved runways: 3 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 101 km; gas 256 km; oil 118 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; water 7 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 660 km
Narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-m gauge
Note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso
Rank: 105

Roadways
Total: 81,996 km
Paved: 6,502 km
Unpaved: 75,494 km
Note: includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are impassable
Rank: 58

Waterways: 980 km (navigable rivers canals and numerous coastal lagoons) (2011)
Rank: 66

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Abidjan San-Pedro
Oil terminal: Espoir Offshore Terminal

Disputes international: disputed maritime border between Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 300,900 (2015)
Stateless persons: 700,000 ; note - many Ivoirians lack documentation proving their nationality which prevent them from accessing education and healthcare; birth on Ivorian soil does not automatically result in citizenship; disputes over citizenship and the associated rights of the large population descended from migrants from neighboring countries is an ongoing source of tension and contributed to the country's 2002 civil war; some observers believe the government's mass naturalizations of thousands of people over the last couple of years is intended to boost its electoral support base; the government in October 2013 acceded to international conventions on statelessness and in August 2013 reformed its nationality law key steps to clarify the nationality of thousands of residents

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis mostly for local consumption; utility as a narcotic transshipment point to Europe reduced by ongoing political instability; 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 (2008)