Communications
Internet country code [time series]
.ci
Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]
2,534 (2006)
Internet users [time series]
160,000 (2005)
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (1998)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: well developed by African standards but operating well below capacity domestic: open-wire lines and microwave radio relay; 90% digitalized international: country code - 225; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 submarine cables (June 1999)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]
257,900 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
2.19 million (2005)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
14 (1999)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber
Budget [time series]
revenues: $2.434 billion expenditures: $2.83 billion; including capital expenditures of $420 million (2005 est.)
Exchange rates (Currency (code)) [time series]
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Current account balance [time series]
$-193 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external [time series]
$13.43 billion (2005 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]
45.2 (1998)
Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]
ODA, $1 billion (1996 est.)
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
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 fluctuations in international prices for these products and weather conditions. 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, and severe civil war. In November 2004, the situation deteriorated when President GBAGBO's troops attacked and killed nine French peacekeeping forces, and the UN imposed an arms embargo. Political turmoil damaged the economy in 2005, with fear among Ivorians spreading, foreign investment shriveling, French businesses and expats fleeing, travel within the country falling, 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. Though the 2005 harvest was largely unaffected by past fighting, the government will likely 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 over 200,000 b/d by the end of the decade.
Electricity - consumption [time series]
3.418 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports [time series]
1.35 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports [time series]
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production [time series]
5.127 billion kWh (2003)
Exchange rates [time series]
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
Exports [time series]
$6.49 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities [time series]
cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish
Exports - partners [time series]
France 18.3%, US 14.1%, Netherlands 11%, Nigeria 8%, Panama 4.4% (2005)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$16.57 billion (2005 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$27.58 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 27.9% industry: 17.1% services: 55% (2005 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$1,600 (2005 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
1% (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 28.8% (1995)
Imports [time series]
$4.759 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities [time series]
fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs
Imports - partners [time series]
France 27.7%, Nigeria 24.5%, Singapore 6.6% (2005)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
15% (1998 est.)
Industries [time series]
foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity, ship construction and repair
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
3.9% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed) [time series]
8.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Labor force [time series]
6.95 million (68% agricultural) (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
1.3 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports [time series]
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - production [time series]
1.3 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
29.73 billion cu m (2005)
Oil - consumption [time series]
20,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports [time series]
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports [time series]
NA bbl/day
Oil - production [time series]
32,900 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves [time series]
220 million bbl (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
37% (1995)
Public debt [time series]
64.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$1.42 billion (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
13% in urban areas (1998)
Geography
total: 322,460 sq km land: 318,000 sq km water: 4,460 sq km
Area - comparative [time series]
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
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
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 environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geographic coordinates [time series]
8 00 N, 5 00 W
Geography - note [time series]
most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated
Irrigated land [time series]
730 sq km (2003)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 3,110 km border countries: Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 10.23% permanent crops: 11.16% other: 78.61% (2005)
Location [time series]
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia
Map references [time series]
Africa
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible
Natural resources [time series]
petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower
Terrain [time series]
mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
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 [time series]
name: Yamoussoukro geographic coordinates: 5 19 N, 4 02 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 [time series]
new constitution adopted 4 August 2000
Country name [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
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
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 [time series]
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 [time series]
chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Charles Konan BANNY (since 7 December 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president 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 2006, after the government postponed the election); prime minister appointed by the president 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 (Flag description) [time series]
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 [time series]
republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960
Independence [time series]
7 August 1960 (from France)
International organization participation [time series]
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Judicial branch [time series]
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 [time series]
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 [time series]
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 31 October 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 is scheduled to be created in the next full election in 2006
National holiday [time series]
Independence Day, 7 August (1960)
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Eg Theodore MEL]; 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]; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Alassane OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and Peace or UDPCI [Paul Akoto YAO]; over 20 smaller parties
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
NA
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
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.
Military
Manpower available for military service [time series]
males age 18-49: 3,696,106 females age 18-49: 3,569,967 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service [time series]
males age 18-49: 1,973,265 females age 18-49: 1,911,777 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually [time series]
males age 18-49: 189,354 females age 18-49: 192,600 (2005 est.)
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
Cote d'Ivoire Defense and Security Forces (FDSC): Army, Navy, Air Force (2006)
Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]
1.6% (2005 est.)
Military service age and obligation [time series]
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
People
Age structure [time series]
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) (2006 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
35.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate [time series]
14.84 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
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 [time series]
7% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
47,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
570,000 (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 89.11 deaths/1,000 live births male: 105.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 71.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Languages [time series]
French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 48.82 years male: 46.24 years female: 51.48 years (2006 est.)
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 50.9% male: 57.9% female: 43.6% (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases [time series]
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 (2005)
Median age [time series]
total: 19.2 years male: 19.4 years female: 18.9 years (2006 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Ivoirian(s) adjective: Ivoirian
Net migration rate [time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Population [time series]
17,654,843 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 2006 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
2.03% (2006 est.)
Religions [time series]
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 [time series]
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
4.5 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
rebel and ethnic fighting against the central government in 2002 has spilled into neighboring states, driven out foreign cocoa workers from nearby countries, and, in 2004, resulted in 6,000 peacekeepers deployed as part of UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) assisting 4,000 French troops already in-country; the Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso and Liberia of supporting Ivorian rebels
Illicit drugs [time series]
illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin to Europe and occasionally to the US, and for Latin American cocaine destined for Europe and South Africa; 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 [time series]
refugees (country of origin): 70,402 (Liberia) IDPs: 500,000-800,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions) (2005)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
35 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 28 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 5 (2006)
Pipelines [time series]
condensate 109 km; gas 240 km; oil 112 km (2006)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro
Railways [time series]
total: 660 km narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000 meter gauge note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2005)
Roadways [time series]
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 [time series]
980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2005)