Dialing code +225
ISO 2 code CI
ISO 3 code CIV
Capital Yamoussoukro
Main Language French
Currency Franc (XOF)
GDP $34.0 billion 99th
Population 21,058,798 57th

Geography

Continent Africa
Location Western Africa bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Ghana and Liberia
Land 322,460 km2 69th
Terrain Mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
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)
Natural Hazards Mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest
Note: Most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area the forested interior is sparsely populated

Neighbouring Countries

Burkina Faso Ghana Guinea Liberia Mali

History

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 West African states but did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999 a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and brought Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the military 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 issues that sparked the civil war such as land reform and grounds for citizenship remained unresolved. In March 2007 President GBAGBO and former New Force rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed the Ouagadougou Political Agreement. As a result of the agreement SORO joined GBAGBO's government as Prime Minister and the two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the zone of confidence separating North from South integrate rebel forces into the national armed forces and hold elections. Several thousand French and UN troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to help the parties implement their commitments and to support the peace process.
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Demographics

Life Expectancy 55.45 years 174th
Median Age 19.2 years 166th
Birth Rate 32.11 births/1,000 population 42nd
Death Rate 10.78 births/1,000 population 48th
Sex Ratio 1.0 male(s)/female 14th
Literacy 48.7% 188th
Population

21.1 million

Transportation

Roadways 80000 km 58th
Railways 660 km 107th
Airports 31 113th
Waterways 980 km 65th
Heliports None
Airports paved 1 167th

Economy

Currency Franc (XOF)
GDP $34.0 billion 99th
GDP per capita (PPP) $1700 170th