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Background:
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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. GBAGBO spent his
first two years in office trying to consolidate power to
strengthen his weak mandate, but he was unable to appease his
opponents, who 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 ethnically-charged 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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Location:
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Western Africa,
bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total:
322,460 sq km
water: 4,460 sq km
land: 318,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger
than New Mexico |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
3,110 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km,
Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km |
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Coastline:
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515 km |
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Climate:
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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) |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat to
undulating plains; mountains in northwest |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Gulf of Guinea 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum,
natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite,
copper, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land:
9.28%
permanent crops: 13.84%
other: 76.88% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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730 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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coast has heavy
surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season
torrential flooding is possible |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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most of the
inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from
the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated |
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Population:
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17,327,724
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into
account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can
result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and
death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in
the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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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.) |
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Median age:
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total: 17
years
male: 17.4 years
female: 16.7 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.11% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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39.64
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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18.48
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
97.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 79.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 113.87 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 42.48 years
male: 40.27 years
female: 44.76 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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9.7% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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770,000 (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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75,000 (2001
est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Ivoirian(s)
adjective: Ivoirian |
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Ethnic groups:
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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) |
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Religions:
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Christian
20-30%, Muslim 35-40%, indigenous 25-40% (2001)
note: the majority of foreigners (migratory workers)
are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%) |
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Languages:
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French
(official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the most widely
spoken |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50.9%
male: 57.9%
female: 43.6% (2003 est.) |
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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 commercial and administrative
center; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in
Abidjan |
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Administrative divisions:
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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 |
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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, most recently 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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Executive branch:
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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% |
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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 [leader NA]; over 20 smaller
parties |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA |
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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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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 heavily
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 2000-03 because of the
difficulty of meeting the conditions of international donors,
continued low prices of key exports, and severe civil war.
Political uncertainty will continue to cloud the economic
outlook in 2004, but rising world prices for cocoa will help
both the current account and the government balances. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $24.51 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-1.9% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $1,400 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
29%
industry: 22%
services: 49% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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37% (1995) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.1% (2003 est.) |
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Labor force:
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68% agricultural
(1996 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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13% in urban
areas (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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4.605 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
61.9%
hydro: 38.1%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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2.983 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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1.3 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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11,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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32,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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1.35 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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1.35 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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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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$5.299 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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cocoa, coffee,
timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish |
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Exports - partners:
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France 13.7%,
Netherlands 12.2%, US 7.2%, Germany 5.3%, Mali 4.4%, Belgium
4.2%, Spain 4.1% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$2.781 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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fuel, capital
equipment, foodstuffs |
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Imports - partners:
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France 22.4%,
Nigeria 16.3%, China 7.8%, Italy 4.1% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$10.7 billion
(2003 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 - 581.2
(2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7
(1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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336,100 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1,027,100 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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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) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 2, FM 9,
shortwave 3 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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14 (1999) |
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Internet country code:
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.ci |
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Internet hosts:
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4,397 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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90,000 (2002) |
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Railways:
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total: 660
km
narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-meter gauge
note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends
into Burkina Faso (2002) |
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Highways:
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total:
50,400 km
paved: 4,889 km
unpaved: 45,511 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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980 km (navigable
rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) |
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Pipelines:
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condensate 107
km; gas 223 km; oil 104 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Abidjan, Aboisso,
Dabou, San-Pedro |
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Airports:
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37 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 30
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 8 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy, Air
Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (includes
Presidential Guard) |
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Military manpower - military age:
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18 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 4,135,309 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 2,164,014 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
204,434 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$173.6 million
(2003) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.2% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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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 |
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Illicit drugs:
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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 |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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