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NAVIGATION
Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
former: Ivory Coast
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
conventional short form: Cote d'Ivoire local short form: Cote d'Ivoire former: Ivory Coast local long form: Republique de Cote d'Ivoire |
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Government type:
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republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960 |
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Capital:
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Yamoussoukro; note - although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the administrative center; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan |
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Administrative divisions:
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58 departments (departements, singular - departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adiake, Adzope, Agboville, Agnibilekrou, Alepe, Bocanda, Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma, Bondoukou, Bongouanou, Bouafle, Bouake, Bouna, Boundiali, Dabakala, Dabou, Daloa, Danane, Daoukro, Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue, Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa, Grand-Bassam, Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia, Jacqueville, Katiola, Korhogo, Lakota, Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro, Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro, Sassandra, Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre, Tabou, Tanda, Tiebissou, Tingrela, Tiassale, Touba, Toulepleu, Toumodi, Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula |
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Independence:
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7 August (1960) (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 7 August (1960) |
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Constitution:
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3 November 1960; has been amended numerous times, last time 27 July 1998 |
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Legal system:
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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 |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000); note - took 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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 NA 2005) note: a Senate is scheduled to be created in the next full election in 2005 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 |
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Judicial branch:
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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 |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 [Gen. Robert GUEI]; over 20 smaller parties |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Pascal Dago KOKORA
chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 FAX: [1] (202) 462-9444 telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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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
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Economy - overview:
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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 government attempts to diversify the economy, it is still largely dependent on agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly 68% of the population. After several years of lagging performance, the Ivorian economy began a comeback in 1994, due to the 50% devaluation of the CFA franc and 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. Moreover, government adherence to donor-mandated reforms led to a jump in growth to 5% annually during 1996-99. Growth was negative in 2000 and 2001 because of the difficulty of meeting the conditions of international donors, continued low prices of key exports, and post-coup instability. Political instability continues to impede growth. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $25.5 billion (2001) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-1% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,550 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 28%
industry: 29% services: 43% (2000 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 29% (1995) (1995) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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37 (1995) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.5% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force:
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68% agricultural (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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13% in urban areas (1998 est.) (1998) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $1.72 billion
expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $420 million (2001 est.) |
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Industries:
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foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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15% (1998 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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4.08 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 75%
hydro: 25% other: 0% (1999) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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2.57 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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1.2 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (1999) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber |
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Exports:
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$3.6 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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cocoa 33%, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton, fish (1999) |
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Exports - partners:
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France 13%, US 8%, Netherlands 7%, Germany 7%, Italy 6% (1999) |
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Imports:
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$2.4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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food, consumer goods; capital goods, fuel, transport equipment, raw materials |
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Imports - partners:
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France 26%, Nigeria 10%, China 7%, Italy 5%, Germany 4% (1999) |
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Debt - external:
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$13.3 billion (2000 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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ODA, $1 billion (1996 est.) |
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Currency:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
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Currency code:
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XOF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |