1. Geography
Area: 320,763 sq.km.; on the West African coast between Ghana and Liberia. Rain forest in the south and savannah/highlands in the north.
Population: 14,785,832 in 2000; 18,200,343 in 2010; 23,345,116 in 2025
Capital: Yamoussoukro (166,800)
Other major city: Abidjan (3,850,000)
2. Peoples
Akan: 31%
Gur: 13%
Mande: 12%
Kru: 9%
South Mande: 7%
Foreign Africans: 27%
Other: 1%
Literacy: 42,4%
3. Economy
One of the world’s largest producers of cocoa, coffee and palm oil. Post-independence boom produced both massive immigration of job-seekers from surrounding lands and a high level of corruption. Currency devaluation in 1994 led to further growth. A political coup in December1999 caused a sharp downturn in the economy as capital inflows dropped. Many businesses have since left the country. Civil servants have received no cost of living salary raise in over 18 years.
4. Politics
Independent from France in 1960. Formerly a one-party presidential government under Houphouet-Boigny, who died in 1993. His elected successor was deposed and fled the country during a coup in 1999. The military-led transitional government oversaw a new constitution and elections in 2000. These were characterised by politicised ethnic and religious tensions, as established southern tribes attempt to shut out the growing immigrant – and largely Muslim- peoples from Burkina Faso and Mali from power. Tensions will not relax for some time, but Ivoirian stability is essential to the entire region, already one of the world’s poorest.
Muslim: 5,707,331 adherents (38.60% of population)
Christian: 4,698,937 adherents (31.78% of population)
Traditional ethnic: 4,298,241 adherents (29.07% of population)
Non-religious: 36,965 adherents (0.25% of population)
Baha’i: 29,572 adherents (0.20% of population)
Hindu: 14,786 adherents (0.10% of population)
Churches: Catholic (1,220,930 members)
Assemblies of God (300,000 members)
Prot Ch of Central Cl (116,671 members)
Eglise Harriste (66,007 members)
Union Eg Ev du S.0. (UFM) (50,000 members)
Protestant Methodist (68,868 members)
Ashes of Purification (80,838 members)
Les Eglises "Reveille" (50,000 members)
Oeuvre Missionaire (30,000 members)
All. Of Ev Chs (AEECI) (20,000 members)
Orthodox (17,365 members)
Seventh-day Adventist (6,243 members)
For sources used please click on ‘About Religious Intelligence’
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