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Fact File
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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the
North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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8 00 N, 5 00 W |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total: 322,460 sq km
water: 4,460 sq km
land: 318,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than New Mexico |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 3,110 km
border countries: Burkina
Faso 584 km, Ghana 668 km, Guinea 610 km, Liberia 716 km, Mali 532 km |
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Coastline:
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515 km |
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Maritime claims:
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continental shelf: 200
NM
exclusive economic zone: 200
NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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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) |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat to undulating
plains; mountains in northwest |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Gulf of
Guinea 0 m
highest point: Mont Nimba
1,752 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, natural gas,
diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 14%
other: 77% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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730 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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coast has heavy surf and no
natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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most of the inhabitants live
along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the
forested interior is sparsely populated |
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Capital: Abidjan
Area: 322 462 km²
Population: 14 015 000
Currency: 1 US$ = 600 CFA
GDP: 132/1 668$
HDI : 145/368
CPI : 59/3.1
Languages: French, fon, Yoruba, Somka, Dendi, Bariba, Goun, Adja,
Pila-pila
Ethnic groups: Akan (southeast), Kru (southwest), Voltaic Northeast),
Malinké Mande (northwest) Lebanese
Religions: Animist 60%, Muslim 20%, Christian 20%
H of S: Henri Konan-Bédié ‘93
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