Ivory Coast

Location

• Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia
• most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Abidjan	6,321,017
Abobo	1,340,083
Bouaké	832,371
Korhogo	440,926
Daloa	421,871
Koumassi	412,282
San-Pédro	390,654
Gagnoa	277,044
Yamoussoukro	275,686	Capital
Sinfra	245,226

Size

• 124,502 square miles
• 322,460 square kilometers
• slightly larger than New Mexico

History

Various small kingdoms ruled the area of Cote d'Ivoire between the 15th and 19th centuries, when European explorers arrived and then began to expand their presence. In 1844, France established a protectorate. During this period, many of these kingdoms and tribes fought to maintain their cultural identities -- some well into the 20th century. For example, the Sanwi kingdom -- originally founded in the 17th century -- tried to break away from Cote d’Ivoire and establish an independent state in 1969.  Cote d’Ivoire achieved independence from France in 1960 but has maintained close ties. Foreign investment and the export and production of cocoa drove economic growth that led Cote d’Ivoire to become one of the most prosperous states in West Africa. Then in 1999, a military coup overthrew the government, and a year later, junta leader Robert GUEI held rigged elections and declared himself the winner. Popular protests forced him to step aside, and Laurent GBAGBO was elected. Ivoirian dissidents and members of the military launched a failed coup in 2002 that developed into a civil war. In 2003, a cease-fire resulted in rebels holding the north, the government holding the south, and peacekeeping forces occupying a buffer zone in the middle. In 2007, President GBAGBO and former rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister. The two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. In 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in five months of violent conflict. Armed OUATTARA supporters and UN and French troops eventually forced GBAGBO to step down in 2011. OUATTARA won a second term in 2015 and a controversial third term in 2020 -- despite the two-term limit in the Ivoirian constitution -- in an election boycotted by the opposition. Through political compromise with OUATTARA, the opposition participated peacefully in 2021 legislative elections and won a substantial minority of seats. Also in 2021, the International Criminal Court in The Hague ruled on a final acquittal for GBAGBO, who was on trial for crimes against humanity, paving the way for GBAGBO’s return to Abidjan the same year. GBAGBO has publicly met with OUATTARA since his return as a demonstration of political reconciliation.

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

Languages

French (official), 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spokenmajor-language sample(s): The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Muslim 42.9%, Catholic 17.2%, Evangelical 11.8%, Methodist 1.7%, other Christian 3.2%, animist 3.6%, other religion 0.5%, none 19.1% (2014 est.)note: the majority of foreign migrant workers are Muslim (72.7%) and Christian (17.7%)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: previous 1960, 2000; latest draft completed 24 September 2016, approved by the National Assembly 11 October 2016, approved by referendum 30 October 2016, promulgated 8 November 2016amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; consideration of drafts or proposals requires an absolute majority vote by the parliamentary membership; passage of amendments affecting presidential elections, presidential term of office and vacancies, and amendment procedures requires approval by absolute majority in a referendum; passage of other proposals by the president requires at least four-fifths majority vote by Parliament; constitutional articles on the sovereignty of the state and its republican and secular form of government cannot be amended
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law system based on the French civil code; Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court reviews legislation
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010)head of government: Prime Minister Robert BREUGRE MAMBE (since 17 October 2023)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the presidentelection/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a single renewable 5-year term; vice president elected on same ballot as president; prime minister appointed by the presidentmost recent election date: 31 October 2020election results: 2020: Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 94.3%, Kouadio Konan BERTIN (PDCI-RDA) 2.0%, other 3.7%2015: Alassane OUATTARA reelected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 83.7%, Pascal Affi N'GUESSAN (FPI) 9.3%, Konan Bertin KOUADIO (independent) 3.9%, other 3.1%expected date of next election: October 2025note: because President OUATTARA promulgated the new constitution in 2016, he has claimed that the clock is reset on term limits, allowing him to run for up to two additional terms
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Judicial, Audit, Constitutional, and Administrative Chambers; consists of the court president, 3 vice presidents for the Judicial, Audit, and Administrative chambers, and 9 associate justices or magistrates)judge selection and term of office: judges nominated by the Superior Council of the Magistrature, a 7-member body consisting of the national president (chairman), 3 "bench" judges, and 3 public prosecutors; judges appointed for lifesubordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (organized into civil, criminal, and social chambers); first instance courts; peace courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliament (Parlement)legislative structure: bicameral

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• one of West Africa’s most influential, stable, and rapidly developing economies; poverty declines in urban but increases in rural areas; strong construction sector and increasingly diverse economic portfolio; increasing but manageable public debt; large labor force in agriculture
• Budget: revenues: $12.351 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $16.03 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower
• Industries: foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity
• Agricultural Products: yams, cassava, oil palm fruit, cocoa beans, sugarcane, plantains, rice, rubber, maize, cashews (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 84.2% (2022 est.)arable land: 13.5% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 29.1% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 41.5% (2022 est.)forest: 8.2% (2022 est.)other: 7.6% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: crude petroleum, ships, refined petroleum, fish, rice (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: China 16%, Nigeria 12%, France 6%, India 5%, USA 4% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: gold, cocoa beans, rubber, refined petroleum, coconuts/brazil nuts/cashews (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: Switzerland 17%, Netherlands 9%, Mali 7%, USA 5%, Malaysia 4% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports