Communications
Airports [time series]
total: 41 usable: 37 with permanent-surface runways: 7 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 15
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 46,600 km paved: 3,600 km unpaved: gravel, crushed stone, improved earth 32,000 km; unimproved earth 11,000 km
Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]
980 km navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons
Merchant marine [time series]
8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 92,828 GRT/ 134,606 DWT, bulk 1, chemical tanker 1, container 2, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3
Abidjan, San-Pedro
Railways (Railroads) [time series]
660 km (Burkina border to Abidjan, 1.00-meter gauge, single track, except 25 km Abidjan-Anyama section is double track)
Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]
well-developed by African standards but operating well below capacity; consists of open-wire lines and radio relay microwave links; 87,700 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 17 FM, 13 TV, 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station; 2 coaxial submarine cables
Defense Forces
Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard, Military Fire Group
Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]
exchange rate conversion - $200 million, 2.3% of GDP (1988)
Manpower availability [time series]
males age 15-49 3,224,673; fit for military service 1,674,127; reach military age (18) annually 149,991 (1994 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]
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
Budget [time series]
revenues: $2.3 billion expenditures: $3.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $274 million (1990 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $356 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $5.2 billion
Electricity [time series]
capacity: 1,210,000 kW production: 1.97 billion kWh consumption per capita: 150 kWh (1991)
Exchange rates [time series]
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05 (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Exports [time series]
$2.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: cocoa 30%, coffee 20%, tropical woods 11%, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton partners: France, FRG, Netherlands, US, Belgium, Spain (1985)
Debt - external (External debt) [time series]
$17.3 billion (1993 est.)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
Illicit drugs [time series]
illicit producer of cannabis; mostly for local consumption; some international drug trade; transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin to Europe and occasionally to the US
Imports [time series]
$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: food, capital goods, consumer goods, fuel partners: France 29%, other EC 29%, Nigeria 16%, US 4%, Japan 3% (1989)
Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]
growth rate 6% (1990); accounts for 11% of GDP
Industries [time series]
foodstuffs, wood processing, oil refinery, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, beverage
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
1% (1991 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $21 billion (1993 est.)
Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]
$1,500 (1993 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]
NA
Economic overview (Overview) [time series]
Cote d'Ivoire 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 has yet to fully recover. Continuing weak prices for commodity exports, a bloated public-sector wage bill, and a large foreign debt will continue to constrain economic development, this despite the 50% currency devaluation in January 1994 designed to restore international price competitiveness. A large, non-competitive import-substitution sector continues to thrive under steep tariff and import quota barriers.
Unemployment rate [time series]
14% (1985)
Geography
total area: 322,460 sq km land area: 318,000 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
Climate [time series]
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 [time series]
515 km
Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]
current issues: deforestation; water pollution from sewage and industrial and agricultural effluents natural hazards: coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors international agreements: party to - Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Tropical Timber
Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]
none
Irrigated land [time series]
620 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries [time series]
total 3,110 km, Burkina 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 9% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 9% forest and woodland: 26% other: 52%
Location [time series]
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Ghana and Liberia
Map references [time series]
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims [time series]
continental shelf: 200-m depth exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources [time series]
petroleum, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper
Terrain [time series]
mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
50 departments (departements, singular - departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope, Agboville, Agnibilckrou, 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, Tingrela, Tiassale, Touba, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
Capital [time series]
Yamoussoukro note: although Yamoussoukro has been the capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the administrative center; foreign governments, including the United States, maintain presence in Abidjan
Constitution [time series]
3 November 1960; has been amended numerous times, last time November 1990
Digraph [time series]
IV
Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Jean-Marie KACOU-GERVAIS chancery: 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 797-0300
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President Henri Konan BEDIE (since 7 December 1993) constitutional successor who will serve during the remainder of the term of former President Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY who died in office after continuous service from November 1960 (next election October 1995) head of government: Prime Minister Kablan Daniel DUNCAN (since 10 December 1993) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister
Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]
[225] 22-32-59
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
Independence [time series]
7 August 1960 (from France)
Judicial branch [time series]
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Legal system [time series]
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 [time series]
unicameral
International organization participation (Member of) [time series]
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, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Country name (Names) [time series]
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
Legislative branch (National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)) [time series]
elections last held 25 November 1990 (next to be held November 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (175 total) PDCI 163, FPI 9, PIT 1, independents 2
National holiday [time series]
National Day, 7 December
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Democratic Party of the Cote d'Ivoire (PDCI), Henri Konan BEDIE; Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), Laurent GBAGBO; Ivorian Worker's Party (PIT), Francis WODIE; Ivorian Socialist Party (PSI), Morifere BAMBA; over 20 smaller parties
Suffrage [time series]
21 years of age; universal
Government type (Type) [time series]
republic multiparty presidential regime established 1960
Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Hume A. HORAN embassy: 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan mailing address: 01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan telephone: [225] 21-09-79 or 21-46-72
People
Birth rate [time series]
46.52 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate [time series]
15.01 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]
Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, Agni, foreign Africans (mostly Burkinabe and Malians, about 3 million), non-Africans 130,000 to 330,000 (French 30,000 and Lebanese 100,000 to 300,000)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
95 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Labor force [time series]
5.718 million by occupation: 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 note: 54% of population of working age (1985)
Languages [time series]
French (official), 60 native dialects Dioula is the most widely spoken
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 48.92 years male: 46.75 years female: 51.16 years (1994 est.)
Literacy [time series]
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 54% male: 67% female: 40%
Nationality [time series]
noun: Ivorian(s) adjective: Ivorian
Net migration rate [time series]
2.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Population [time series]
14,295,501 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
3.44% (1994 est.)
Religions [time series]
indigenous 25%, Muslim 60%, Christian 12%
Total fertility rate [time series]
6.67 children born/woman (1994 est.)