Branches:
Civil Guard, Rural Assistance Guard
note:
constitution prohibits armed forces
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 873,987; fit for military service 588,223; reach
military age (18) annually 32,308 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $22 million, 0.5% of GDP (1989)
@Cote d'Ivoire
Header Affiliation: (also known as Ivory Coast)
@Cote d'Ivoire, Geography
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Ghana and
Liberia
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
322,460 sq km
land area:
318,000 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total 3,110 km, Burkina 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia
716 km, Mali 532 km
Coastline:
515 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200-m depth
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
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
Natural resources:
petroleum, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper
Land use:
arable land:
9%
permanent crops:
4%
meadows and pastures:
9%
forest and woodland:
26%
other:
52%
Irrigated land:
620 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; water pollution from sewage and industrial and
agricultural effluents
natural hazards:
coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors
international agreements:
party to - Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified -
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Tropical Timber
@Cote d'Ivoire, People
Population:
14,295,501 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.44% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
46.52 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
15.01 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
95 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
48.92 years
male:
46.75 years
female:
51.16 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.67 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Ivorian(s)
adjective:
Ivorian
Ethnic divisions:
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)
Religions:
indigenous 25%, Muslim 60%, Christian 12%
Languages:
French (official), 60 native dialects Dioula is the most widely spoken
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
54%
male:
67%
female:
40%
Labor force:
5.718 million
by occupation:
over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, forestry, livestock
raising; about 11% of labor force are wage earners, nearly half in
agriculture and the remainder in government, industry, commerce, and
professions
note:
54% of population of working age (1985)
@Cote d'Ivoire, Government
Names:
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
Digraph:
IV
Type:
republic multiparty presidential regime established 1960
Capital:
Yamoussoukro
note:
although Yamoussoukro has been the capital since 1983, Abidjan remains
the administrative center; foreign governments, including the United
States, maintain presence in Abidjan
Administrative divisions:
50 departments (departements, singular - departement); Abengourou,
Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope, Agboville, Agnibilckrou, 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
Independence:
7 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
National Day, 7 December
Constitution:
3 November 1960; has been amended numerous times, last time November
1990
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
Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Henri Konan BEDIE (since 7 December 1993) constitutional
successor who will serve during the remainder of the term of former
President Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY who died in office after continuous
service from November 1960 (next election October 1995)
head of government:
Prime Minister Kablan Daniel DUNCAN (since 10 December 1993)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):
elections last held 25 November 1990 (next to be held November 1995);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (175 total) PDCI 163,
FPI 9, PIT 1, independents 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of the Cote d'Ivoire (PDCI), Henri Konan BEDIE;
Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), Laurent GBAGBO; Ivorian Worker's Party
(PIT), Francis WODIE; Ivorian Socialist Party (PSI), Morifere BAMBA;
over 20 smaller parties
Member of:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WADB, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jean-Marie KACOU-GERVAIS
chancery:
2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 797-0300
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Hume A. HORAN
embassy:
5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan
mailing address:
01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan
telephone:
[225] 21-09-79 or 21-46-72
FAX:
[225] 22-32-59
Flag:
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
@Cote d'Ivoire, Economy