| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Africa |
| Geographical Location |
8° 00' North Latitude
5° 00' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
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 Resources |
Petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Cote d'Ivoire |
| Capital City |
Yamoussoukro |
| Government Type |
Republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960 |
| Administrative Divisions |
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 |
| Independence Day |
7 August 1960 (from France) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
17,298,040 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
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) |
| Religion |
Christian 20-30%, Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40% (2001)
note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%) |
| Languages |
French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely spoken |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.06% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF);
note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
| Industries |
Foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity, ship construction and repair |
| Labor Force |
6.7 million (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 68% |
| Agriculture Products |
Coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber |
| Export Commodities |
Cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish |
| Export Partners |
France 19%, Netherlands 17.7%, US 7.1%, Spain 5.6% (2003) |
| Import Commodities |
Fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs |
| Import Partners |
France 32.7%, Nigeria 14.4%, UK 7% (2003) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
660 km |
| Highways |
50,400 km |
| Pipelines |
Condensate 107 km; gas 223 km; oil 104 km (2004) |
| Airports |
37 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+225 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.ci |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
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. On 25 December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government led by President Henri Konan BEDIE.
Junta leader Robert GUEI held elections in late 2000, but excluded prominent opposition leader Alassane OUATTARA, blatantly rigged the polling results, and declared himself winner.
Popular protest forced GUEI 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 nationality remain unresolved. The central government has yet to exert control over the northern regions and tensions remain high between GBAGBO and rebel leaders.
Several thousand French and West African troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to maintain peace and facilitate the disarmament, demobilization, and rehabilitation process. |
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