Dictionary    Maps    Thesaurus    Translate    Advanced >   


Tip: Click Thesaurus above for synonyms. Also, follow synonym links within the dictionary to find definitions from other sources.

1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
Cote d'Ivoire
    n 1: a republic in western Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; one of
         the most prosperous and politically stable countries in
         Africa [syn: Ivory Coast, Cote d'Ivoire, Republic of
         Cote d'Ivoire]

2. CIA World Factbook 2002
Cote d'Ivoire

   Introduction Cote d'Ivoire
   --------------------------
                            Background: 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 tropical African
                                        states. Falling cocoa prices and
                                        political turmoil, however, sparked
                                        an economic downturn in 1999 and
                                        2000. On 25 December 1999, a
                                        military coup - the first ever in
                                        Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew
                                        the government led by President
                                        Henri Konan BEDIE. Presidential and
                                        legislative elections held in
                                        October and December 2000 provoked
                                        violence due to the exclusion of
                                        opposition leader Alassane OUATTARA.
                                        In October 2000, Laurent GBAGBO
                                        replaced junta leader Robert GUEI as
                                        president, ending 10 months of
                                        military rule. In October 2001,
                                        President GBAGBO initiated a two-
                                        month-long National Reconciliation
                                        Forum, but its ability to conciliate
                                        Ivorians with one another remains
                                        unclear.
  
   Geography Cote d'Ivoire
   -----------------------
                              Location: Western Africa, bordering the North
                                        Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and
                                        Liberia
                Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 5 00 W
                        Map references: Africa
                                  Area: total: 322,460 sq km
                                        water: 4,460 sq km
                                        land: 318,000 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, natural gas, diamonds,
                                        manganese, iron ore, cobalt,
                                        bauxite, copper, hydropower
                              Land use: arable land: 9.28%
                                        permanent crops: 13.84%
                                        other: 76.89% (1998 est.)
                        Irrigated land: 730 sq km (1998 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 heavily logged);
                                        water pollution from sewage and
                                        industrial and agricultural
                                        effluents
            Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
                            agreements: 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
                      Geography - note: most of the inhabitants live along
                                        the sandy coastal region; apart from
                                        the capital area, the forested
                                        interior is sparsely populated
  
   People Cote d'Ivoire
   --------------------
                            Population: 16,804,784
                                        note: estimates for this country
                                        explicitly take into account the
                                        effects of excess mortality due to
                                        AIDS; this can result in lower life
                                        expectancy, higher infant mortality
                                        and death rates, lower population
                                        and growth rates, and changes in the
                                        distribution of population by age
                                        and sex than would otherwise be
                                        expected (July 2002 est.)
                         Age structure: 0-14 years: 46% (male 3,874,651;
                                        female 3,847,080)
                                        15-64 years: 51.8% (male 4,468,242;
                                        female 4,238,998)
                                        65 years and over: 2.2% (male
                                        185,306; female 190,507) (2002 est.)
                Population growth rate: 2.45% (2002 est.)
                            Birth rate: 39.99 births/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                            Death rate: 16.74 deaths/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                    Net migration rate: 1.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population
                                        note: after Liberia's civil war
                                        started in 1990, more than 350,000
                                        refugees fled to Cote d'Ivoire; by
                                        the end of 1999 most Liberian
                                        refugees were assumed to have
                                        returned (2002 est.)
                             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: 0.97 male(s)/
                                        female
                                        total population: 1.03 male(s)/
                                        female (2002 est.)
                 Infant mortality rate: 92.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
                                        est.)
              Life expectancy at birth: total population: 44.72 years
                                        female: 46.03 years (2002 est.)
                                        male: 43.45 years
                  Total fertility rate: 5.61 children born/woman (2002 est.)
      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 10.76% (1999 est.)
     HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 1 million (2000)
                                  AIDS:
                     HIV/AIDS - deaths: 72,000 (1999 est.)
                           Nationality: noun: Ivorian(s)
                                        adjective: Ivorian
                         Ethnic groups: Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques or Gur 17.6%,
                                        Northern Mandes 16.5%, Krous 11%,
                                        Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8%
                                        (includes 130,000 Lebanese and
                                        20,000 French) (1998)
                             Religions: Christian 20-30%, Muslim 35-40%,
                                        indigenous 25-40% (2001)
                                        note: the majority of foreigners
                                        (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%)
                                        and Christian (20%)
                             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 Cote d'Ivoire
   ------------------------
                          Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
                                        Cote d'Ivoire
                                        conventional short form: Cote
                                        d'Ivoire
                                        local short form: Cote d'Ivoire
                                        former: Ivory Coast
                                        local long form: Republique de Cote
                                        d'Ivoire
                       Government type: republic; multiparty presidential
                                        regime established 1960
                               Capital: Yamoussoukro; note - although
                                        Yamoussoukro has been the official
                                        capital since 1983, Abidjan remains
                                        the administrative center; the US,
                                        like other countries, maintains its
                                        Embassy in Abidjan
              Administrative divisions: 58 departments (departements,
                                        singular - departement); Abengourou,
                                        Abidjan, Aboisso, Adiake, Adzope,
                                        Agboville, Agnibilekrou, Alepe,
                                        Bocanda, Bangolo, Beoumi, Biankouma,
                                        Bondoukou, Bongouanou, Bouafle,
                                        Bouake, Bouna, Boundiali, Dabakala,
                                        Dabou, Daloa, Danane, Daoukro,
                                        Dimbokro, Divo, Duekoue,
                                        Ferkessedougou, Gagnoa, Grand-
                                        Bassam, Grand-Lahou, Guiglo, Issia,
                                        Jacqueville, Katiola, Korhogo,
                                        Lakota, Man, Mankono, Mbahiakro,
                                        Odienne, Oume, Sakassou, San-Pedro,
                                        Sassandra, Seguela, Sinfra, Soubre,
                                        Tabou, Tanda, Tiebissou, Tingrela,
                                        Tiassale, Touba, Toulepleu, Toumodi,
                                        Vavoua, Yamoussoukro, Zuenoula
                          Independence: 7 August (1960) (from France)
                      National holiday: Independence Day, 7 August (1960)
                          Constitution: 3 November 1960; has been amended
                                        numerous times, last time 27 July
                                        1998
                          Legal system: based on French civil law system and
                                        customary law; judicial review in
                                        the Constitutional Chamber of the
                                        Supreme Court; has not accepted
                                        compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
                              Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
                      Executive branch: chief of state: President Laurent
                                        GBAGBO (since 26 October 2000); note
                                        - took power following a popular
                                        overthrow of the interim leader Gen.
                                        Robert GUEI who had claimed a
                                        dubious victory in presidential
                                        elections; Gen. GUEI himself had
                                        assumed power on 25 December 1999,
                                        following a military coup against
                                        the government of former President
                                        Henri Konan BEDIE
                                        head of government: Prime Minister
                                        and Minister of Planning and
                                        Development Affi N'GUESSAN (since 27
                                        October 2000)
                                        cabinet: Council of Ministers
                                        appointed by the president
                                        elections: president elected by
                                        popular vote for a five-year term;
                                        election last held 26 October 2000
                                        (next to be held NA 2005); 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 NA
                                        2005)
                                        note: a Senate is scheduled to be
                                        created in the next full election in
                                        2005
                                        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
                       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: Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire-
                                        African Democratic Rally or PDCI-RDA
                                        [Aime Henri Konan BEDIE]; Ivorian
                                        Popular Front or FPI [Laurent
                                        GBAGBO]; Ivorian Worker's Party or
                                        PIT [Francis WODIE]; Rally of the
                                        Republicans or RDR [Alassane
                                        OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and
                                        Peace or UDPCI [Gen. Robert GUEI];
                                        over 20 smaller parties
          Political pressure groups and NA
                               leaders:
             International organization ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS,
                         participation: Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
                                        IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
                                        IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
                                        IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
                                        NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
                                        UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WADB
                                        (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
                                        WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
   Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
                                        Youssoufou BAMBA
                                        chancery: 3421 Massachusetts Avenue
                                        NW, Washington, DC 20007
                                        FAX: [1] (202) 462-9444
                                        telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300
     Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Arlene
                                    US: RENDER
                                        embassy: 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan
                                        mailing address: B. P. 1712, Abidjan
                                        01
                                        telephone: [225] 20 21 09 79
                                        FAX: [225] 20 22 32 59
                      Flag description: three equal vertical bands of orange
                                        (hoist side), white, and green;
                                        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 among the world's
                                        largest producers and exporters of
                                        coffee, cocoa beans, and palm oil.
                                        Consequently, the economy is highly
                                        sensitive to fluctuations in
                                        international prices for these
                                        products and to weather conditions.
                                        Despite government attempts to
                                        diversify the economy, it is still
                                        largely dependent on agriculture and
                                        related activities, which engage
                                        roughly 68% of the population. After
                                        several years of lagging
                                        performance, the Ivorian economy
                                        began a comeback in 1994, due to the
                                        50% devaluation of the CFA franc and
                                        improved prices for cocoa and
                                        coffee, growth in nontraditional
                                        primary exports such as pineapples
                                        and rubber, limited trade and
                                        banking liberalization, offshore oil
                                        and gas discoveries, and generous
                                        external financing and debt
                                        rescheduling by multilateral lenders
                                        and France. Moreover, government
                                        adherence to donor-mandated reforms
                                        led to a jump in growth to 5%
                                        annually during 1996-99. Growth was
                                        negative in 2000 and 2001 because of
                                        the difficulty of meeting the
                                        conditions of international donors,
                                        continued low prices of key exports,
                                        and post-coup instability. Political
                                        instability continues to impede
                                        growth.
                                   GDP: purchasing power parity - $25.5
                                        billion (2001)
                GDP - real growth rate: -1% (2001 est.)
                      GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,550
                                        (2001 est.)
           GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 28%
                                        industry: 29%
                                        services: 43% (2000 est.)
         Population below poverty line: NA%
     Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 3.1%
                      percentage share: highest 10%: 28.8% (1995)
   Distribution of family income - Gini 36.7 (1995)
                                 index:
      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (2000 est.)
                           Labor force: 68% agricultural (2000 est.)
                     Unemployment rate: 13% in urban areas (1998 est.)
                                Budget: revenues: $1.72 billion
                                        expenditures: $2.4 billion,
                                        including capital expenditures of
                                        $420 million (2001 est.)
                            Industries: foodstuffs, beverages; wood
                                        products, oil refining, truck and
                                        bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer,
                                        building materials, electricity
     Industrial production growth rate: 15% (1998 est.)
              Electricity - production: 4.08 billion kWh (2000)
    Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 75.37%
                                        hydro: 24.63%
                                        other: 0% (1999)
                                        nuclear: 0%
             Electricity - consumption: 2.57 billion kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - exports: 1.2 billion kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)
                Agriculture - products: coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm
                                        kernels, corn, rice, manioc
                                        (tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar,
                                        cotton, rubber; timber
                               Exports: $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
                 Exports - commodities: cocoa 33%, coffee, timber,
                                        petroleum, cotton, bananas,
                                        pineapples, palm oil, cotton, fish
                                        (1999)
                    Exports - partners: France 13%, US 8%, Netherlands 7%,
                                        Germany 7%, Italy 6% (1999)
                               Imports: $2.4 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
                 Imports - commodities: food, consumer goods; capital goods,
                                        fuel, transport equipment, raw
                                        materials
                    Imports - partners: France 26%, Nigeria 10%, China 7%,
                                        Italy 5%, Germany 4% (1999)
                       Debt - external: $13.3 billion (2000 est.)
              Economic aid - recipient: ODA, $1 billion (1996 est.)
                              Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine
                                        franc (XOF); note - responsible
                                        authority is the Central Bank of the
                                        West African States
                         Currency code: XOF
                        Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine
                                        francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79
                                        (January 2002), 733.04 (2001),
                                        711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95
                                        (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1
                                        January 1999, the XOF is pegged to
                                        the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF
                                        per euro
                           Fiscal year: calendar year
  
   Communications Cote d'Ivoire
   ----------------------------
        Telephones - main lines in use: 263,700 (2000)
          Telephones - mobile cellular: 450,000 (2000)
                      Telephone system: general assessment: well developed
                                        by African standards but operating
                                        well below capacity
                                        domestic: open-wire lines and
                                        microwave radio relay; 90%
                                        digitalized
                                        international: satellite earth
                                        stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
                                        Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); 2 coaxial
                                        submarine cables (June 1999)
              Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (1998)
                                Radios: 2.26 million (1997)
         Television broadcast stations: 14 (1999)
                           Televisions: 1.09 million (2000)
                 Internet country code: .ci
     Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 5 (2001)
                        Internet users: 10,000 (2001)
  
   Transportation Cote d'Ivoire
   ----------------------------
                              Railways: total: 660 km
                                        narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-meter
                                        gauge; 25 km double-track
                                        note: an additional 600 km of this
                                        railroad extends into Burkina Faso,
                                        ending at Kaya, north of Ouagadougou
                                        (2000 est.)
                              Highways: total: 50,400 km
                                        paved: 4,889 km
                                        unpaved: 45,511 km (1996)
                             Waterways: 980 km (navigable rivers, canals,
                                        and numerous coastal lagoons)
                     Ports and harbors: Abidjan, Aboisso, Dabou, San-Pedro
                              Airports: 36 (2001)
         Airports - with paved runways: total: 7
                                        over 3,047 m: 1
                                        2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
                                        1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2001)
       Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 29
                                        1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
                                        914 to 1,523 m: 13
                                        under 914 m: 9 (2001)
  
   Military Cote d'Ivoire
   ----------------------
                      Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary
                                         Gendarmerie, Republican Guard
                                         (includes Presidential Guard)
       Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
       Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 3,963,166 (2002
                                         est.)
    Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 2,071,011 (2002
                                service: est.)
   Military manpower - reaching military males: 188,411 (2002 est.)
                           age annually:
          Military expenditures - dollar $127.7 million (FY01)
                                 figure:
      Military expenditures - percent of 1.3% (FY01)
                                    GDP:
  
   Transnational Issues Cote d'Ivoire
   ----------------------------------
              Disputes - international: none
                         Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis, mostly
                                        for local consumption; transshipment
                                        point for Southwest and Southeast
                                        Asian heroin to Europe and
                                        occasionally to the US, and for
                                        Latin American cocaine destined for
                                        Europe and South Africa
  
                                       



Common Misspellings >
Most Popular Searches: Define Misanthrope, Define Pulchritudinous, Define Happy, Define Veracity, Define Cornucopia, Define Almuerzo, Define Atresic, Define URL, Definitions Of Words, Definition Of Get Up, Definition Of Quid Pro Quo, Definition Of Irreconcilable Differences, Definition Of Word, Synonyms of Repetitive, Synonym Dictionary, Synonym Antonyms. See our main index and map index for more details.

©2011-2024 ZebraWords.com - Define Yourself - The Search for Meanings and Meaning Means I Mean. All content subject to terms and conditions as set out here. Contact Us, peruse our Privacy Policy