Cote d'Ivoire

Internet country code

.ci

Internet hosts

1,373 (2007)

Internet users

300,000 (2006)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: well developed by African standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s; mobile cellular usage has increased to 23 per 100 persons; fixed-line connections stand at about 2 per 100 persons domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized 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 (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2007)

Telephones - main lines in use

260,900 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular

4.065 million (2006)

Television broadcast stations

14 (1998)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $3.209 billion expenditures: $3.713 billion (2006 est.)

Currency (code)

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

Current account balance

$529.1 million (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$10.9 billion (2006 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

44.6 (2002)

Economic aid - recipient

ODA, $119.1 million (2005 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 weather conditions and to fluctuations in international prices for these products. Despite government attempts to diversify the economy, it is still heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, engaging roughly 68% of the population. Growth was negative in 2000-03 because of the difficulty of meeting the conditions of international donors, continued low prices of key exports, foreign divestment and civil war. Political turmoil has continued to damage the economy since 2004, with a rising risk premium associated with doing business in the country, foreign investment shriveling, transportation costs increasing, French businesses fleeing, and criminal elements that traffic in weapons and diamonds gaining ground. The government will continue to survive financially off of the sale of cocoa, which represents 90% of foreign exchange earnings, but the government will probably lose between 10% and 20% of its cocoa harvest to northern rebels who smuggle the cocoa they control to neighboring countries where cocoa prices are higher. The government remains hopeful that ongoing exploration of Cote d'Ivoire's offshore oil reserves will result in significant production that could boost daily crude output from roughly 33,000 barrels per day (b/d) to more than 200,000 b/d by the end of the decade.

Electricity - consumption

2.9 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports

1.397 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - production

5.305 billion kWh (2005)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)

Exports

$8.191 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

France 18.3%, Netherlands 9.7%, US 9.1%, Nigeria 7.2%, Germany 4.2% (2006)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$17.19 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$29.05 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 27.7% industry: 22.2% services: 50.1% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,600 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.2% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 34% (2002)

Imports

$5.039 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Nigeria 27.6%, France 25.4%, China 4.3% (2006)

Industrial production growth rate

15% (1998 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.4% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

8.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Labor force

6.799 million (68% agricultural) (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$4.155 billion (2006)

Natural gas - consumption

1.247 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - production

1.247 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

27.16 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

23,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

32,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

220 million bbl (1 January 2006)

Population below poverty line

37% (1995)

Public debt

82.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.798 billion (2006 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

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, Whaling 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 (2003)

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: 10.23% permanent crops: 11.16% other: 78.61% (2005)

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, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, 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

name: Yamoussoukro geographic coordinates: 6 49 N, 5 17 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) 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

approved by referendum 23 July 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 note: pronounced coat-div-whar former: Ivory Coast

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Aubrey HOOKS embassy: Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan mailing address: B. P. 1866, Abidjan 01 telephone: [225] 20 21 09 79 FAX: [225] 20 22 32 59

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Daouda DIABATE chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300 FAX: [1] (202) 244-3088

Executive branch

chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Guillaume SORO (since 4 April 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - under the current power-sharing agreement the prime minister and the president share the authority to appoint ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 26 October 2000 (next to be held by October 2007, after the government postponed elections in 2005 and 2006 and the UN Security Council voted to extend its mandate); prime minister appointed by the president (current Prime Minister BANNY was appointed by African Union mediators as part of the existing power-sharing agreement) 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 note: the government is currently operating under a power-sharing agreement mandated by international mediators

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), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, 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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

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 by October 2007 after the government postponed the elections in 2005 and 2006) 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 that was scheduled to be created in the October 2006 elections never took place

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

Political parties and leaders

Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Theodore MEL EG]; Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally or PDCI-RDA [Henri Konan BEDIE]; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Laurent GBAGBO]; Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Francis WODIE]; Opposition Movement of the Future or MFA [Anaky KOBENAN]; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Alassane OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI [Mabri TOIKEUSE]; over 20 smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

Federation of University and High School Students of Cote d'Ivoire or FESCI [Serges KOFFI]; Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP [Alphonse DJEDJE MADY]; Young Patriots [Charles BLE GOUDE]

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. 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 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 citizenship, remain unresolved. The central government has yet to exert control over the northern regions and tensions remain high between GBAGBO and opposition leaders. Several thousand French and West African troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to maintain peace and facilitate the disarmament, demobilization, and rehabilitation process.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 3,696,106 females age 18-49: 3,569,967 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 1,973,265 females age 18-49: 1,911,777 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 189,354 females age 18-49: 192,600 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Cote d'Ivoire Defense and Security Forces (FDSC): Army, Navy, Air Force (2006)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.6% (2005 est)

Military service age and obligation

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 40.6% (male 3,603,386/female 3,711,211) 15-64 years: 56.6% (male 5,128,824/female 5,060,027) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 246,130/female 263,831) (2007 est.)

Birth rate

34.69 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate

14.74 deaths/1,000 population (2007 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 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

570,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 87.41 deaths/1,000 live births male: 103.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 70.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 49 years male: 46.43 years female: 51.66 years (2007 est.)

Literacy

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

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, yellow fever, and others are high risks in some locations water contact: schistosomiasis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

Median age

total: 19.3 years male: 19.5 years female: 19 years (2007 est.)

Nationality

noun: Ivoirian(s) adjective: Ivoirian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Population

18,013,409 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 2007 est.)

Population growth rate

1.995% (2007 est.)

Religions

Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40%, Christian 20-30% (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: 0.971 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.014 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.933 male(s)/female total population: 0.994 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.43 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Disputes - international

despite the presence of over 9,000 UN forces (UNOCI) in Cote d'Ivoire since 2004, ethnic conflict there has displaced hundreds of thousands of Ivorians in and out of the country as well as driven out migrants from neighboring states who worked in Ivorian cocoa plantations; Ivorian rebels reportedly hide along the borders of neighboring states

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 39,919 (Liberia) IDPs: 750,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions) (2006)

Airports

34 (2007)

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 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 5 (2007)

Pipelines

condensate 109 km; gas 240 km; oil 112 km (2006)

Ports and terminals

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 (2006)

Roadways

total: 80,000 km paved: 6,500 km unpaved: 73,500 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 (2006)

Waterways

980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2006)