TOTAL AREA: 322,460 sq km (124,351 sq mi); LAND AREA: 318,000 sq km (122,631 sq mi)
COMPARATIVE AREA: slightly larger than New Mexico
LAND BOUNDARIES: 3,110 km (1933 mi) total; Burkina 584 km (363 mi), Ghana 668 km (415 mi), Guinea 610 km (379 mi), Liberia 716 km (444 mi), Mali 532 km (331 mi)
COASTLINE: 515 km (320 mi)
MARITIME CLAIMS:
CONTINENTAL SHELF: 200 m
EXTENDED ECONOMIC ZONE: 200 nm
TERRITORIAL SEA: 12 nm
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
NET MIGRATION RATE: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1989)
INFANT MORTALITY RATE: 102 deaths/1,000 live births (July 1989)
LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH: 52 years male, 55 years female (July 1989)
TOTAL FERTILITY RATE: 6.7 children born/woman (1989)
NATIONALITY: noun--Ivorian(s); adjective--Ivorian
ETHNIC DIVISIONS: over 60 ethnic groups; most important are the Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%, and Agni; about 2 million foreign Africans, mostly Burkinabe; about 130,000 to 330,000 non-Africans (30,000 French and 100,000 to 300,000 Lebanese)
RELIGION: 63% indigenous, 25% Muslim, 12% Christian
LANGUAGE: French (official), over 60 native dialects; Dioula most widely spoken
LITERACY: 24%
LABOR FORCE: NA; 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; 54% of population of working age (1985)
ORGANIZED LABOR: 20% of wage labor force
.GOVERNMENT OF IVORY COAST
LONG-FORM NAME: Republic of the Ivory Coast; note--the local official name is Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
TYPE: republic; one-party presidential regime established 1960
CAPITAL: Abidjan (capital city changed to Yamoussoukro in March 1983 but not recognized by US)
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
NATIONAL HOLIDAY: National Day, 7 December
BRANCHES: president has sweeping powers, unicameral legislature (175-member National Assembly), separate judiciary
CHIEFS OF STATE AND HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: President Dr. Felix HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY (since 27 November 1960)
SUFFRAGE: universal over age 21
ELECTIONS: legislative and municipal elections were held in October 1985; Houphouet-Boigny reelected in October 1985 to his fifth consecutive five-year term; next round of national elections scheduled for October 1990
POLITICAL PARTIES AND LEADERS: Democratic Party of the Ivory Coast (PDCI), only party; Houphouet-Boigny firmly controls party
DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION: Ambassador Charles GOMIS; Chancery at 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-0300
US FOREIGN SERVICE POST: Ambassador Dennis KUX; Embassy at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan (mailing address is B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01); telephone
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
.ECONOMY OF IVORY COAST
OVERVIEW: The Ivory Coast is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm-kernel oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for coffee and cocoa and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government to diversify, the economy is still largely dependent on agriculture and related industries. The agricultural sector accounts for over one-third of GDP and about 80% of export earnings and employs about 85% of the labor force.
GDP: $10.3 billion, per capita $960; real growth rate - 2.7% (1987)
INFLATION RATE (CONSUMER PRICES): 5.3% (1987)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 14% (1985)
BUDGET: revenues $1.6 billion (1986); expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $504 million (1988 est.)
IMPORTS: $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1987); commodities-- manufactured goods and semifinished products 50%, consumer goods 40%, raw materials and fuels 10%; partners-- France, other EC, Nigeria, US, Japan (1985)
EXTERNAL DEBT: $13.1 billion (1988)
INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION: growth rate 0% (1987)
ELECTRICITY: 1,081,000 kW capacity; 2,438 million kWh produced, 220 kWh per capita (1988)
RAILROADS: 660 km (409 mi) (Burkina border to Abidjan, 1.00-meter gauge, single track, except 25 km Abidjan-Anyama section is double track)
HIGHWAYS: 46,600 km (28,938 mi) total; 3,600 km bituminous and bituminous-treated surface; 32,000 km gravel, crushed stone, laterite, and improved earth; 11,000 km unimproved
INLAND WATERWAYS: 980 km (608 mi) navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons
PORTS: Abidjan, San-Pedro
MERCHANT MARINE: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,945 GRT/90,684 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker
CIVIL AIR: 14 major transport aircraft, including multinationally owned Air Afrique fleet
AIRPORTS: 50 total, 44 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: system above African average; consists of open-wire lines and radio relay links; 87,700 telephones; stations--3 AM, 17 FM, 11 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite stations; 2 coaxial submarine cables
.DEFENSE FORCES OF IVORY COAST
BRANCHES: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie
MILITARY MANPOWER: males 15-49, 2,724,671; 1,407,473 fit for military service; 133,249 males reach military age (18) annually
MILITARY BUDGET: $200 million, 9.2% of central government budget (1988)
.TRAVEL IN IVORY COAST
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Passport and visa required. Visa valid 1-90 days, no charge. Onward/return ticket, financial guarantee, and 4 photos are required. Visa must be obtained prior to arrival. Include postage for return of passport by registered mail. Vaccination certificate required for yellow fever.
HEALTH: Tapwater is not potable. Unwashed raw foods or undercooked meats may not be safe to eat. Health requirements change; check latest information.
U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: 01 B.P. 708, Abidjan 01; Tel 326766, 326785.
TOURIST OFFICE: Tourisme Cote D'Ivoire, 117 E. 55th Ave., New York, NY 10022, Tel 212-355-6975; Washington 202-797-0352.
WEATHER AND CLOTHING: Summer clothing is appropriate year round. Umbrellas and raincoats are recommended during the rainy season (mid-May to mid-Jul).
TELEPHONE: When direct dialing to Ivory Coast from the U.S., dial 011 (international access code) + 225 [country code] + local number.
TIME: 5 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time, and the same as Greenwich Mean Time.
ELECTRIC CURRENT: 220V
IMPORTANT!! All requirements/recommendations are subject to change. Be sure to check latest information.
