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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 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. 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, remained unresolved. In March 2007 President GBAGBO and
former New Force rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed the Ouagadougou Political
Agreement. As a result of the agreement, SORO joined GBAGBO's government as
Prime Minister and the two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the zone
of confidence separating North from South, integrate rebel forces into the
national armed forces, and hold elections. Several thousand French and UN troops
remain in Cote d'Ivoire to help the parties implement their commitments and to
support the peace process.
Geography of Ivory Coast
|
Location:
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Western Africa, bordering
the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia |
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Coordinates:
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8 00 N, 5 00 W |
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Area:
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total: 322,460 sq km
water: 4,460 sq km
land: 318,000 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly larger than New
Mexico |
|
Land boundaries:
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total: 3,110 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610
km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km |
|
Coastline:
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515 km |
|
Maritime claims:
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continental shelf:
200 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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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:
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mostly flat to undulating
plains; mountains in northwest |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Gulf
of Guinea 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m |
|
Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas,
diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, hydropower |
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Natural hazards:
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coast has heavy surf and no
natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible |
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Environment current issues:
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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 |
|
Geography - note:
|
most of the inhabitants
live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the
forested interior is sparsely populated
|
Population of Ivory Coast
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Population:
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20,179,602 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure:
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0-14 years: 40.8% (male 3,546,674/female 3,653,990)
15-64 years: 56.4% (male 5,024,575/female 4,939,677)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 238,793/female 251,134) |
|
Median age:
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19.2 years |
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Growth rate:
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2.03% |
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Infant mortality:
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89.11 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 48.82 years
male: 46.24 years
female: 51.48 years |
|
Fertility rate:
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4.5 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
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noun: Ivoirian(s)
adjective: Ivoirian |
|
Ethnic groups:
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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) |
|
Religions:
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Christian 20-30%, Muslim 35-40%, indigenous
25-40% (2001)
note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian
(20%) |
|
Languages:
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French (official), 60 native dialects with
Dioula the most widely spoken |
|
Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 50.9%
male: 57.9%
female: 43.6%
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
Cote d'Ivoire
conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire
local short form: Cote d'Ivoire
former: Ivory Coast
local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire |
|
Government type:
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republic; multiparty presidential regime
established 1960 |
|
Capital:
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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 |
|
Administrative divisions:
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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 |
|
Independence:
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7 August 1960 (from France) |
|
National holiday:
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Independence Day, 7 August (1960) |
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Constitution:
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new constitution adopted 4 August 2000 |
|
Legal system:
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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 |
|
Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
|
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 30 November 2008;
elections were to be held in 2005 but have been repeatedly postponed by the
government; the UN Security Council has extended the government's mandate);
prime minister appointed by the president. |
|
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) |
|
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 |
Economy
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, to a lesser extent, in climatic conditions. Despite
government attempts to diversify the economy, it is still heavily dependent on
agriculture and related activities, engaging roughly 68% of the population.
Since 2006, oil and gas production have become more important engines of
economic activity than cocoa. According to IMF statistics, earnings from oil
and refined products were $1.3 billion in 2006, while cocoa-related revenues
were $1 billion during the same period. Cote d'Ivoire's offshore oil and gas
production has resulted in substantial crude oil exports and provides
sufficient natural gas to fuel electricity exports to Ghana, Togo, Benin, Mali
and Burkina Faso. Oil exploration by a number of consortiums of private
companies continues offshore, and President GBAGBO has expressed hope that
daily crude output could reach 200,000 barrels per day (b/d) by the end of the
decade. Since the end of the civil war in 2003, political turmoil has
continued to damage the economy, resulting in the loss of foreign investment
and slow economic growth. GDP grew by 1.8% in 2006 and 1.7% in 2007. Per
capita income has declined by 15% since 1999.
|
GDP:
|
$32.85 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
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1% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$1,600 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 27.9%
industry: 17.1%
services: 55% |
|
Inflation rate:
|
3.9% |
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Labor force:
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6.95 million |
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Unemployment:
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13% in urban areas |
|
Budget:
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revenues: $2.434 billion
expenditures: $2.83 billion |
|
Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 61.9%
hydro: 38.1%
other: 0% |
|
Industries:
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foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil
refining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity |
|
Agriculture:
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coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels,
corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber |
|
Exports:
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cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton,
bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish |
|
Export partners:
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France 18.3%, US 14.1%, Netherlands 11%, Nigeria 8%,
Panama 4.4% |
|
Imports:
|
fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs |
|
Import partners:
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France 27.7%, Nigeria 24.5%, Singapore 6.6% |
|
Currency:
|
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
(XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |