Land and Resources

The coast of Côte d'Ivoire is fringed by a number of large and deep lagoons, most of which are inaccessible to shipping because of offshore shoals. Bordering the coast, a zone of dense tropical forests extends about 265 km (about 165 mi) inland in the east and west and about 100 km (about 60 mi) in the center. Beyond this, in the north and center, lies an extensive savanna (grassland with a few trees). The western part of the country is undulating, with mountain chains in the Odienné and Man regions. Several summits rise to more than 1500 m (more than 5000 ft). The principal rivers are the Sassandra, Bandama, and Comoé, none of which is navigable for more than about 65 km (about 40 mi) because of rapids and low water during the dry season.

Climate

The southern portion of Côte d'Ivoire has a tropical climate, with hot and humid weather and heavy rains. Temperatures vary from 22° C (72° F) to 32° C (90° F), and the heaviest rains fall from April to July and in October and November. Away from the coast, in the savanna, temperature differences become more extreme, with night lows dropping in January to 12° C (54° F) and day highs in the summer rising above 40° C (104° F). Annual rainfall is 2100 mm (about 83 in) in coastal Abidjan and 1200 mm (about 48 in) in Bouaké, located on the nation's central plain.

Plants and Animals

The central band of Côte d'Ivoire is covered by forest with more than 225 species of trees, among which are obeche, mahogany, and iroko. Animals of the country include the jackal, hyena, panther, elephant, chimpanzee, crocodile, and various lizards and venomous snakes.

Natural Resources

The principal resources of Côte d'Ivoire are its relatively rich soil, which favors agriculture, and the forests, which contain dense stands of commercially valuable hardwoods. Mineral deposits include gold, iron ore, manganese ore, diamonds, and petroleum (in offshore fields). Hydroelectric plants are located on the Bia and Bandama rivers; annual production of electricity in the early 1990s totaled about 2 billion kilowatt-hours, much of which came from hydroelectric installations.

Population

The population of Côte d'Ivoire is diverse, comprising more than 60 ethnic groups. The principal groups include the Akan-speaking peoples of the southeast, the Kru of the southwest, the Voltaic groups of the northeast, and the Malinke and southern Mande peoples found in the northwest. A significant Lebanese community also exists.

Population Characteristics

The population of Côte d'Ivoire (1995 estimate) is 14,401,000, of whom at least 3 million are immigrant workers and their families. The overall population density is about 45 persons per sq km (about 116 per sq mi).

An estimated 60 percent of Côte d'Ivoire's people follow traditional religions; about 20 percent are Christian, mainly Roman Catholic; and 20 percent are Muslim. French is the official national language; numerous African languages are also spoken.

Côte d'Ivoire is divided into 49 departments, each administered by a centrally appointed prefect and an elected council. The main cities are Abidjan, with a population (1990 estimate, greater city) of 2,700,000; and Bouaké; (1988, 329,850), an important administrative and commercial center. Other urban centers include Daloa (121,842); Gagnoa (1986 estimate, 59,500), a marketing town; and Man (59,000). Yamoussoukro (1988, 106,786), between Bouaflé and Dimbokro, was designated the new national capital in 1983, but many government offices have remained in Abidjan.

Education

Education in Côte d'Ivoire is free, and primary education is compulsory. A vast television education program was begun in the early 1970s. In the early 1990s about 1.5 million pupils annually attended primary schools and about 423,000 attended secondary and vocational schools. The National University of Côte d'Ivoire (1958), in Abidjan, has a yearly attendance of about 21,000. A substantial number of advanced Côte d'Ivoire students study abroad. About 64 percent of the adult population is literate.

Culture

The modernized sector of Côte d'Ivoire's population has been greatly influenced by French culture. The indigenous culture of the country remains strong, however, and is well known for its artistic creations, especially masks. The French language is almost universally used in the written literature of Côte d'Ivoire, to the exclusion of the African languages.

Economy

The economy of Côte d'Ivoire is primarily agricultural, with some 54 percent of the total labor force employed in farming. However, the government is attempting to diversify the economy to avoid dependence on a small number of export crops. Annual budget figures for the early 1990s show approximately $2.3 billion in revenues and $3.6 billion in expenditures.

Labor

Most of the labor force of Côte d'Ivoire is engaged in agriculture and forestry. About 100,000 workers belong to 190 unions grouped in the General Workers Union of Côte d'Ivoire.

Agriculture

The principal cash crops of Côte d'Ivoire are cacao, coffee, cotton, and pineapples. The country is among the world's leading producers of cacao, which accounts for more than 40 percent of export earnings, and is the leading African producer of coffee. The government encouraged production of cotton and pineapples to diversify the economy, which had suffered in the 1980s when commodity prices for cacao and coffee dropped sharply. Other crops being developed for export are palm kernels and rubber. Crops grown for local use include yams, cassava, plantains, rice, and maize; the government has initiated programs to achieve food self-sufficiency.

Forestry and Fishing

The production of timber is of major economic importance to the Côte d'Ivoire economy. The most important export timbers are mahogany, iroko, sipo, obeche, and makore. Some 13.1 million cu m (some 462 million cu ft) of timber were produced annually in the early 1990s. Fishing is conducted along the coast; the annual catch is about 85,200 metric tons.

Mining and Manufacturing

Offshore oil was discovered in commercial quantities in 1977, and production began in 1980; output in the early 1990s was about 2.4 million barrels a year. Côte d'Ivoire also produces about 12,000 carats of diamonds each year, and gold mining began in the early 1990s. Industries include food-processing plants, lumber and textile mills, oil refineries, automobile and bicycle assembly plants, and plywood, furniture, cement, shoe, steel-container, and aluminum-sheet production.

Currency, Banking, and Trade

Côte d'Ivoire is a member of the six-nation West African Monetary Union. The currency is the CFA franc, issued by the Central Bank for the States of West Africa (284.6 CFA francs equal U.S.$1; 1993). An exchange rate of 50 CFA francs equal to 1 French franc was in force from 1948 to 1994, when the CFA franc was devalued by 50 percent.

In the early 1990s annual exports totaled $2.8 billion and imports were $1.6 billion. Principal trading partners for exports are the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the United States; chief partners for imports are France, Nigeria, Germany, and Italy.

Transportation and Communications

The port of Abidjan is one of the busiest in West Africa. A new port exists at San Pedro, which is linked to Mali by rail. A railroad links Abidjan to Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. The total length of operated railroad track in the country is about 660 km (about 410 mi). Of about 68,000 km (about 42,300 mi) of roads, some 8 percent are paved. The government operates several radio and television stations. About 1.8 million radios and 730,000 television sets were in use in the early 1990s.

Government

According to the Côte d'Ivoire constitution of 1960, executive authority is vested in an elected president assisted by a council of ministers selected by the president. The president and the 175 members of the unicameral National Assembly are all elected for five-year terms by universal adult suffrage. The Côte d'Ivoire Democratic party is the country's leading political party, although a multiparty system was adopted in 1990. The judicial system includes a supreme court that comprises constitutional, judicial, administrative, and auditing chambers. A high court of justice is empowered to try government officials, including the president, for high crimes. Other courts include appellate, state security, and courts of first instance.

History

Ancestors of most of the present population of Côte d'Ivoire seem to have moved into the area relatively late (18th to 19th century), mostly from the northeast and east. The Kru, however, came from the west across the Cavally River. Portuguese explorers reached the coast in the 15th century and began trading in slaves and ivory. Strong tribal kingdoms flourished in the northeastern and eastern parts of the country. Europeans did not penetrate inland until the 1830s, when the French signed treaties with coastal rulers. As part of the French expansion in West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire was made a colony in 1893. The French were bitterly resisted, however, and frequent revolts occurred. In 1904 Côte d'Ivoire became a constituent territory of the Federation of French West Africa. Faced with dissidence, the French resorted increasingly to direct rule, undermining traditional rulers.

In 1919 the northern part of the colony was detached to form part of the new colony of Upper Volta, which was dissolved in 1932, only to be reconstituted in 1948. In 1944 Félix Houphouët-Boigny, a Baule chief, farmer, and doctor, founded a union of African farmers. From this organization emerged the first major African political party, the interterritorial African Democratic Rally and its constituent section, the Côte d'Ivoire Democratic party, both led by Houphouët-Boigny. The party was opposed by the French administration, and the tension flared into violence in 1949. In 1950 Houphouët-Boigny reversed his policy and began to cooperate with the French. On December 4, 1958, Côte d'Ivoire was proclaimed a republic within the French Community. After national elections in 1959, Houphouët-Boigny became premier and was elected president in November 1960, following the achievement of full independence on August 7 of that year.