land: 318,000 sq kmwater: 4,460 sq km
Area—comparative: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
total: 3,110 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km,
Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km
Coastline: 515 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive 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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Gulf of Guinea 0 m highest point: Mont Nimba 1,752 m
Natural resources: petroleum, diamonds, manganese, iron ore,
cobalt, bauxite, copper
Land use:
arable land: 8%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures: 41%
forests and woodland: 22%
other: 25% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 680 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible
Environment—current issues: deforestation (most of the country's forests—once the largest in West Africa—have been cleared by the timber industry); water pollution from sewage and industrial and agricultural effluents
Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
Population: 15,818,068 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 47% (male 3,702,051; female 3,664,672)
15–64 years: 51% (male 4,154,440; female 3,952,999)
65 years and over: 2% (male 174,065; female 169,841) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.35% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 41.76 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 16.17 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: −2.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.) note: after Liberia's civil war started in 1990, more than 350,000 refugees fled to Cote d'Ivoire and, by September 1998, according to the UNHCR, about 85,000 remain
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 94.17 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 46.05 years male: 44.48 years female: 47.67 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.89 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Ivorian(s) adjective: Ivorian
Ethnic groups: Baoule 23%, Bete 18%, Senoufou 15%, Malinke 11%,
Agni, Africans from other countries (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: Muslim 60%, Christian 22%, indigenous 18% (some of
these are also numbered among the Christians and Muslims)
Languages: French (official), 60 native dialects with Dioula the
most widely spoken
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 48.5%
male: 57%
female: 40%
Government
Country name:
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
Data code: IV
Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime
established 1960
Capital: Yamoussoukro
note: although Yamoussoukro has been the capital since 1983, Abidjan
remains the administrative center; the US, like other countries,
maintains its Embassy in Abidjan
Administrative divisions: 50 departments (departements,
singular—departement); Abengourou, Abidjan, Aboisso, Adzope,
Agboville, Agnibilekrou, 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
note: Cote d'Ivoire may have a new administrative structure
consisting of 58 departments; the following additional departments
