Country Guide

Ivory Coast Facts

Geography People and Society Government Economy Communications Transportation Military Transnational Issues

Geography

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia


Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 5 00 W


Map references:
Africa


Area:
total:322,463 sq kmcountry comparison to the world: 69
land:318,003 sq km
water:4,460 sq km


Area - comparative:
slightly larger than New Mexico


Land boundaries:
total:3,458 km
border countries: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
highest point:Monts Nimba 1,752 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:
arable land:8.99%
permanent crops:13.65%
other:77.36% (2011)


Irrigated land:
727.5 sq km (2003)


Total renewable water resources:
81.14 cu km (2011)


Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
81.14 cu km (2011)

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


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, 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
signed, but not ratified:none of the selected agreements


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

People and Society

Nationality:
noun: Ivoirian(s)
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.)


Population:
22,848,945country comparison to the world: 55
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 (July 2014 est.)



Age structure:
0-14 years:38.4% (male 4,427,193/female 4,353,342)
15-24 years:21% (male 2,415,504/female 2,378,196)
25-54 years:33% (male 3,864,593/female 3,677,996)
55-64 years:4.3% (male 494,063/female 493,213)
65 years and over:3.2% (male 361,135/female 383,710) (2014 est.)


Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio:79.7 %
youth dependency ratio:74 %
elderly dependency ratio:5.7 %
potential support ratio:17.6 (2014 est.)


Median age:
total:20.3 years
male:20.3 years
female:20.2 years (2014 est.)


Population growth rate:
1.96% (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 53


Birth rate:
29.25 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 43


Death rate:
9.67 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 53


Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 104


Urbanization:
urban population:51.3% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization:3.56% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)


Major urban areas - population:
ABIDJAN (seat of government) 4.288 million; YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) 966,000 (2011)


Sex ratio:
at birth:1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years:1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years:1.02 male(s)/female
25-54 years:1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years:1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.96 male(s)/female
total population:1.03 male(s)/female (2014 est.)


    Mother's mean age at first birth:
19.8


Maternal mortality rate:
400 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)


Infant mortality rate:
total:60.16 deaths/1,000 live birthscountry comparison to the world: 22
male:66.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female:53.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)


Life expectancy at birth:
total population:58.01 yearscountry comparison to the world: 200
male:56.9 years
female:59.16 years (2014 est.)


Total fertility rate:
3.63 children born/woman (2014 est.)country comparison to the world: 43


Contraceptive prevalence rate:
18.2% (2012)


Health expenditures:
6.8% of GDP (2011)


Physicians density:
0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2008)


Hospital bed density:
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)


Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 91.5% of population
rural: 67.8% of population
total: 80.2% of population
unimproved:
urban: 8.5% of population
rural: 32.2% of population
total: 19.8% of population (2012 est.)


Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 32.7% of population
rural: 10% of population
total: 21.9% of population
unimproved:
urban: 67.3% of population
rural: 90% of population
total: 78.1% of population (2012 est.)


HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.2% (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 19


HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
450,000 (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 18


HIV/AIDS - deaths:
31,200 (2012 est.)country comparison to the world: 13


Major infectious diseases:


Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
6.2% (2008)country comparison to the world: 149


Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
29.4% (2007)country comparison to the world: 16


Education expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2008)country comparison to the world: 89

Literacy:
definition:age 15 and over can read and write
total population:56.9%
male:65.6%
female:47.6% (2011 est.)


Child labor - children ages 5-14:

Government

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 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)


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 under Article 12(3)of the Rome Statute


Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal


Executive branch:
chief of state:President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010)
head of government:Prime Minister Daniel Kablan DUNCAN (since 21 November 2012)
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 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 45.9%; note - President OUATTARA was declared winner by the election commission and took the oath of office on 4 December; Prime Minister SORO resigned from the incumbent administration and was subsequently appointed to the same position by OUATTARA; former president GBAGBO refused to cede resulting in a 5-month stand-off and was finally forced to stand down in April 2011


Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (255 seats; members elected in single- and multi-district elections by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:elections last held on 11 December 2011 (next to be held in 2016)
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(s):Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Judicial, Audit, Constitutional, and Administrative Chambers; consists of the court president, 3 vice-presidents for the Judicial, Audit, and Administrative chambers, and 9 associate justices or magistrates)
judges nominated by the Superior Council of the Magistrature, a 7-member body consisting of the national president (chairman), 3 'Bench' judges, and 3 public prosecutors; judges appointed for life
subordinate courts:Courts of Appeal (organized into civil, criminal, and social chambers); first instance courts; peace courts


    Political parties and leaders:
Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Theodore MEL EG]
Democracy and Liberty for the Republic or LIDER [Mamadou KOULIBALY]
Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE]
Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Pascal AFFI NGUESSAN]
Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Daniel AKA AHIZ]
Movement of the Future Forces or MFA [Innocent Augustin ANAKY KOBENA]
Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Alassane OUATTARA]
Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI [Toikeuse MABRI]
over 144 smaller registered parties


Political pressure groups and leaders:
Federation of University and High School Students of Cote d'Ivoire or FESCI [Augustin MIAN]


International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, 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 (since 11 February 2011)
chancery:2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:[1] (202) 797-0300
FAX:[1] (202) 462-9444


Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Terrance MCCULLEY
embassy:Cocody Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan
mailing address:B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01
telephone:[225] 22 49 40 00
FAX:[225] 22 49 43 32


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


National symbol(s):
elephant


National anthem:
name:'L'Abidjanaise' (Song of Abidjan)

lyrics/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

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 producing gold. The country also produces oil and boasted two offshore oil finds in 2012. 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. 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. Cote d'Ivoire's long-term challenges include political instability and degrading infrastructure.


GDP (purchasing power parity):
$43.67 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
$40.43 billion (2012 est.)
$36.84 billion (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars


GDP (official exchange rate):
$28.28 billion (2013 est.)


GDP - real growth rate:
8% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 12
9.8% (2012 est.)
-4.7% (2011 est.)


GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,800 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
$1,700 (2012 est.)
$1,600 (2011 est.)
note:data are in 2013 US dollars


GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:79.1%
government consumption:9.1%
investment in fixed capital:12.7%
investment in inventories:0%
exports of goods and services:53.2%
imports of goods and services:-54.1%
(2013 est.)


GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:26.3%
industry:21.3%
services:52.4% (2013 est.)


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:
7% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 34

Labor force:
7.928 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60


Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture:68%
industry and services:NA% (2007 est.)


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% (2008)


Distribution of family income - Gini index:
41.5 (2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
36.7 (1995)


    Budget:
revenues:$5.7 billion
expenditures:$6.665 billion (2013 est.)


Taxes and other revenues:
20.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-3.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134


Public debt:
45.2% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
47.8% of GDP (2012 est.)


Fiscal year:
calendar year


Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.9% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
1.3% (2012 est.)


Central bank discount rate:
4.25% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)


Commercial bank prime lending rate:
3.8% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
4% (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of narrow money:
$7.606 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
$6.552 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of broad money:
$11.46 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
$9.877 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of domestic credit:
$7.953 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 101
$6.918 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Market value of publicly traded shares:
$7.829 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Current account balance:
-$623 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
-$266.5 million (2012 est.)


Exports:
$12.96 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
$12.53 billion (2012 est.)


Exports - commodities:
cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish


Exports - partners:
Netherlands 8.8%, US 8.1%, Nigeria 8%, Germany 7.5%, France 4.5%, Canada 4.2% (2012)


Imports:
$9.859 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
$8.973 billion (2012 est.)


Imports - commodities:
fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs


Imports - partners:
Nigeria 25%, France 11%, China 7.2% (2012)


Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.085 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
$3.928 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Debt - external:
$8.959 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
$8.096 billion (31 December 2012 est.)


Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA


Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA


Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
504.6 (2013 est.)
510.29 (2012 est.)
495.28 (2010 est.)
472.19 (2009)
447.81 (2008)

Energy

Electricity - production:
5.721 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116


Electricity - consumption:
3.865 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125


Electricity - exports:
471 million kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66


Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158


Electricity - installed generating capacity:
1.222 million kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121


Electricity - from fossil fuels:
50.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155


Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112


Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
49.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43


Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184


Crude oil - production:
38,560 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64


Crude oil - exports:
32,190 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51


Crude oil - imports:
49,780 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57


    Crude oil - proved reserves:
100 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70


Refined petroleum products - production:
55,890 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81


Refined petroleum products - consumption:
24,630 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123


Refined petroleum products - exports:
38,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63


Refined petroleum products - imports:
4,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153


Natural gas - production:
1.5 billion cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61


Natural gas - consumption:
1.5 billion cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83


Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121


Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208


Natural gas - proved reserves:
28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 72


Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
6.68 million Mt (2011 est.)

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
268,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 121


Telephones - mobile cellular:
19.827 million (2012)
country comparison to the world: 49


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 (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (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


Internet hosts:
9,115 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 137


Internet users:
967,300 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 103

Transportation

Airports
27 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 124


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 (2013)


Airports - with unpaved runways
total:20
1,524 to 2,437 m:6
914 to 1,523 m:11
under 914 m:
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 kmcountry comparison to the world: 104
narrow gauge:660 km 1.000-m gauge
note:an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2008)


    Roadways
total:81,996 kmcountry comparison to the world: 58
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 (2007)


Waterways
980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2011)
country comparison to the world: 67


Ports and terminals
major seaport(s):Abidjan, San-Pedro
oil/gas terminal(s):Espoir Offshore Terminal

Military

Military branches
Republican Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (Force Republiques de Cote d'Ivoire, FRCI): Army, Navy, Cote d'Ivoire Air Force (Force Aerienne de la Cote d'Ivoire)
note:FRCI is the former Armed Forces of the New Forces (FAFN) (2013)



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)


Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49:5,247,522
females age 16-49:5,047,901 (2010 est.)


    Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49:3,360,087
females age 16-49:3,196,033 (2010 est.)


Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male:247,011
female:242,958 (2010 est.)


Military expenditures
1.65% of GDP (2012)
country comparison to the world: 56
1.49% of GDP (2011)
1.65% of GDP (2010)

Transnational Issues

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


Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs:at least 70,000 (post-election conflict in 2010-2011, as well as civil war from 2002-2004; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2013)
stateless persons:700,000 (2012); 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)
 Information/ Data by CIA - The World Factbook