Cote d'Ivoire
Republic of Cote d'IvoireRepublique de Cote d'Ivoire
republicIndependence 7 August 1960 (from France)
Cote d'Ivoire as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 96 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Geography
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between | Ghana and Liberia
17 fieldsLand useshare of 322,460 sq km
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)
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 cleared by the timber industry);
- 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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 47% (male 3,629,286; female 3,590,782)
- 15-64 years:
- 51% (male 4,049,355; female 3,842,508)
- 65 years and over:
- 2% (male 170,120; female 164,180) (July 1998 est.)
Net migration rate
-1.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.) note: of the more than 350,000 refugees that fled to Cote d'Ivoire since 1989 to escape the civil war in Liberia, only about 210,000 remained in Cote d'Ivoire according to a 1997 census
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 1.03 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
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)
Government
Republic; President Henri Konan BEDIE (since 7 December 1993); Prime Minister Daniel Kablan DUNCAN (since 10 December 1993)
19 fieldsLegislature, 175 seatsone dot, one seat
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
- former:
- Ivory Coast
National capital
Yamoussoukro note: although Yamoussoukro has been the capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the administrative center; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan
Administrative divisions
50 departments (departements, singular-departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope, Agboville, Agnibilekrou, 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
note: Cote d'Ivoire may have a new administrative structure consisting of 56 departments; the following additional departments have been reported but not yet confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN); Adiake', Ale'pe', Dabon, Grand Bassam, Jacqueville, Tiebussan
Legal system
- 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
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Henri Konan BEDIE (since 7 December 1993);
- note-succeeded to the presidency following the death of President Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY, who had served continuously since November 1960
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Daniel Kablan DUNCAN (since 10 December 1993)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
- election last held 22 October 1995 (next to be held October 2000);
- prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- Henri Konan BEDIE elected president; percent of vote-Henri Konan BEDIE 96%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (175 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
- elections:
- elections last held 27 November 1995 (next to be held November 2000)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PDCI 150, RDR 13, FPI 12
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Party of the Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE];
- Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Djeny KOBINA];
- Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Laurent GBAGBO];
- Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Francis WODIE];
- Ivorian Socialist Party or PSI [Morifere BAMBA];
- over 20 smaller parties
International organization participation
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Koffi Moise KOUMOUE-KOFFI
- chancery:
- 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 797-0300
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Lannon WALKER
- embassy:
- 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan
- mailing address:
- 01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan
- telephone:
- [225] 21 09 79
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
Economy
Cote d'Ivoire is among the world's largest producers | and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm oil.
28 fieldsGDP-composition by sector(1995)
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 fluctuations in international prices for these products and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government to diversify the economy, it is still largely dependent on agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly 85% of the population.
After several years of lagging performance, the Ivorian economy began a comeback in 1994, due to improved prices for cocoa and coffee, growth in nontraditional primary exports such as pineapples and rubber, limited trade and banking liberalization, offshore oil and gas discoveries, and generous external financing and debt rescheduling by multilateral lenders and France.
The 50% devaluation of Franc Zone currencies on 12 January 1994 caused a one-time jump in the inflation rate to 26% in 1994, but the rate fell to 7% in 1996 and an estimated 3.4% in 1997. Moreover, government adherence to donor-mandated reforms led to a jump in growth rates-6.5% in GDP in 1996 and again in 1997.
Industries
foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, construction materials, electricity
Agriculture-products
- coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar;
- cotton, rubber;
- timber
Exports
- total value:
- $4.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
- commodities:
- cocoa 36%, coffee 22%; tropical woods 4%, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton, fish
- partners:
- France 18%, Germany 8%, Italy 8%, Netherlands 8%, Burkina Faso, Mali, US, UK
Imports
- total value:
- $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
- commodities:
- food, consumer goods; capital goods, fuel, transport equipment
- partners:
- France 32%, Nigeria 20%, US 6%, Ghana, Germany, Italy
Exchange rates
CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993) 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
Telephone system
well-developed by African standards but operating well below capacity
- domestic:
- open-wire lines and microwave radio relay
- international:
- satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 coaxial submarine cables
Transportation
8 fieldsNetworkskm
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 (1997 est.)
Military
Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, | Presidential Guard
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsIllicit drugs
- illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption;
- minor transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin to Europe and occasionally to the US, and for Latin American cocaine destined for Europe CROATIA
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Cote d'Ivoire.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/cote-d-ivoire/1998.