The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
maintains its Embassy in Abidjan
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:
7 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 7 August (1960)
Constitution:
approved by referendum 23 July 2000
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Laurent GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000) head of government: Prime Minister Guillaume SORO (since 4 April 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - under the current power-sharing agreement the prime minister and the president share the authority to appoint ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 26 October 2000 (next to be held 30 November 2008; elections were to be held in 2005 but have been repeatedly postponed by the government; the UN Security Council has extended the government's mandate); 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%
Legislative branch:
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 in November 2008 after the government postponed the elections in 2005 and 2006) 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 note: a Senate that was scheduled to be created in the October 2006 elections never took place
Judicial branch:
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
Political parties and leaders:
Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Theodore MEL EG]; Democratic
Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE]; Ivorian Popular
Front or FPI [Pascale Affi N'GUESSAN]; Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT
[Francis WODIE]; Opposition Movement of the Future or MFA [Innocent
Augustin ANAKY]; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Alassane
OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI
[Toikeuse MABRI]; over 144 smaller registered parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Federation of University and High School Students of Cote d'Ivoire
or FESCI [Serges KOFFI]; Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and
Peace or RHDP [Alphonse DJEDJE MADY]; Young Patriots [Charles BLE
GOUDE]
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC,
OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO,
UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yao Charles KOFFI chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 797–0300 FAX: [1] (202) 244–3088
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Wanda L. NESBITT embassy: Cocody Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan mailing address: B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01 telephone: [225] 22 49 40 00 FAX: [225] 22 49 43 32
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green note: 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
Cote d'Ivoire
Economy - overview:
Cote d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for these products, and, to a lesser extent, in climatic conditions. Despite government attempts to diversify the economy, it is still heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, engaging roughly 68% of the population. Since 2006, oil and gas production have become more important engines of economic activity than cocoa. According to IMF statistics, earnings from oil and refined products were $1.3 billion in 2006, while cocoa-related revenues were $1 billion during the same period. Cote d'Ivoire's offshore oil and gas production has resulted in substantial crude oil exports and provides sufficient natural gas to fuel electricity exports to Ghana, Togo, Benin, Mali and Burkina Faso. Oil exploration by a number of consortiums of private companies continues offshore, and President GBAGBO has expressed hope that daily crude output could reach 200,000 barrels per day (b/d) by the end of the decade. Since the end of the civil war in 2003, political turmoil has continued to damage the economy, resulting in the loss of foreign investment and slow economic growth. GDP grew by 1.8% in 2006 and 1.7% in 2007. Per capita income has declined by 15% since 1999.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$32.85 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$19.6 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,700 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 28.1% industry: 21.5% services: 50.5% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
6.907 million (68% agricultural) (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 68% industry and services: NA (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate:
unemployment may have climbed to 40–50% as a result of the civil war
Population below poverty line:
42% (2006 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 34% (2002)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44.6 (2002)