Cote d'Ivoire

• 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

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

0-14 years:

45.1% (male 3,856,130; female 3,965,930)

15-64 years:

52.6% (male 4,651,921; female 4,468,085)

65 years and over:

2.2% (male 182,995; female 202,663) (2004 est.)

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.9 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

noun:

Ivoirian(s)

adjective:

Ivoirian

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

• 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

• 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

chief of state:

President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000); note - seized power following a popular overthrow of the interim leader Gen. Robert GUEI who had claimed a dubious victory in presidential elections; Gen. GUEI himself had assumed power on 25 December 1999, following a military coup against the government of former President Henri Konan BEDIE

head of government:

• Prime Minister Seydou DIARRA (since 25 January 2003);
• note - appointed as transitional Prime Minister by President GBAGBO as part of a French brokered peace plan

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
• election last held 26 October 2000 (next to be held NA 2005);
• 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%

• 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

• Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire-African Democratic Rally or PDCI-RDA [Aime 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 [leader NA];
• over 20 smaller parties

chief of mission:

Ambassador Pascal Dago KOKORA

chancery:

3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007

telephone:

[1] (202) 797-0300

FAX:

[1] (202) 462-9444

chief of mission:

Ambassador Arlene RENDER

embassy:

5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan

mailing address:

B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01

telephone:

[225] 20 21 09 79

FAX:

[225] 20 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

lowest 10%:

3.1%

highest 10%:

28.8% (1995)

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)

total:

660 km

narrow gauge:

660 km 1.000-meter gauge

note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2003)

total:

50,400 km

paved:

4,889 km

unpaved:

45,511 km (1999 est.)

• continuing rebel fighting extends to neighboring states and has kept out foreign workers from nearby countries;
• the Ivorian Government accuses Burkina Faso and Liberia of supporting Ivorian rebels

refugees (country of origin):

71,711 (Liberia)

IDPs:

500,000 (2002 coup; most IDPs are in western regions) (2004)

• 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