{
"Introduction": {
"Background": {
"text": "Various small kingdoms ruled the area of Cote d'Ivoire between the 15th and 19th centuries, when European explorers arrived and then began to expand their presence. In 1844, France established a protectorate. During this period, many of these kingdoms and tribes fought to maintain their cultural identities - some well into the 20th century. For example, the Sanwi kingdom - originally founded in the 17th century - tried to break away from Cote d’Ivoire and establish an independent state in 1969.
After becoming independent in 1960, Cote d’Ivoire took advantage of close ties with France, cocoa production and export, and foreign investment to become one of the most prosperous states in West Africa. In December 1999, however, a military coup overthrew the government. In late 2000, junta leader Robert GUEI held rigged elections and declared himself the winner. Popular protests forced him to step aside and Laurent GBAGBO was elected. In September 2002, Ivoirian dissidents and members of the military launched a failed coup that developed into a civil war. In 2003, a cease-fire resulted in rebels holding the north, the government holding the south, and peacekeeping forces occupying a buffer zone in the middle. In March 2007, President GBAGBO and former rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister. The two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. In November 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in five months of violent conflict. In April 2011, after widespread fighting, GBAGBO was formally forced from office by armed OUATTARA supporters and UN and French forces. In 2015, OUATTARA won a second term. In October 2020, OUATTARA won a controversial third presidential term, despite a two-term limit in the Ivoirian constitution. In March 2021, the International Criminal Court in The Hague ruled on a final acquittal for GBAGBO, who was on trial for crimes against humanity.
" } }, "Geography": { "Location": { "text": "Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia" }, "Geographic coordinates": { "text": "8 00 N, 5 00 W" }, "Map references": { "text": "Africa" }, "Area": { "total": { "text": "322,463 sq km" }, "land": { "text": "318,003 sq km" }, "water": { "text": "4,460 sq km" } }, "Area - comparative": { "text": "slightly larger than New Mexico" }, "Land boundaries": { "total": { "text": "3,458 km" }, "border countries": { "text": "Burkina Faso 545 km, Ghana 720 km, Guinea 816 km, Liberia 778 km, Mali 599 km" } }, "Coastline": { "text": "515 km" }, "Maritime claims": { "territorial sea": { "text": "12 nm" }, "exclusive economic zone": { "text": "200 nm" }, "continental shelf": { "text": "200 nm" } }, "Climate": { "text": "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": { "text": "mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest" }, "Elevation": { "highest point": { "text": "Monts Nimba 1,752 m" }, "lowest point": { "text": "Gulf of Guinea 0 m" }, "mean elevation": { "text": "250 m" } }, "Natural resources": { "text": "petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower" }, "Land use": { "agricultural land": { "text": "64.8% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: arable land": { "text": "arable land: 9.1% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent crops": { "text": "permanent crops: 14.2% (2018 est.)" }, "agricultural land: permanent pasture": { "text": "permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.)" }, "forest": { "text": "32.7% (2018 est.)" }, "other": { "text": "2.5% (2018 est.)" } }, "Irrigated land": { "text": "730 sq km (2012)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "the population is primarily located in the forested south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the northern savanna remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations located along transportation corridors as shown in this population distribution map" }, "Natural hazards": { "text": "coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "text": "28,088,455 (July 2021 est.)
Cote d’Ivoire’s population is likely to continue growing for the foreseeable future because almost 60% of the populace is younger than 25, the total fertility rate is holding steady at about 3.5 children per woman, and contraceptive use is under 20%. The country will need to improve education, health care, and gender equality in order to turn its large and growing youth cohort into human capital. Even prior to 2010 unrest that shuttered schools for months, access to education was poor, especially for women. As of 2015, only 53% of men and 33% of women were literate. The lack of educational attainment contributes to Cote d’Ivoire’s high rates of unskilled labor, adolescent pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS prevalence.
Following its independence in 1960, Cote d’Ivoire’s stability and the blossoming of its labor-intensive cocoa and coffee industries in the southwest made it an attractive destination for migrants from other parts of the country and its neighbors, particularly Burkina Faso. The HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY administration continued the French colonial policy of encouraging labor immigration by offering liberal land ownership laws. Foreigners from West Africa, Europe (mainly France), and Lebanon composed about 25% of the population by 1998.
Ongoing economic decline since the 1980s and the power struggle after HOUPHOUET-BOIGNY’s death in 1993 ushered in the politics of \"Ivoirite,\" institutionalizing an Ivoirian identity that further marginalized northern Ivoirians and scapegoated immigrants. The hostile Muslim north-Christian south divide snowballed into a 2002 civil war, pushing tens of thousands of foreign migrants, Liberian refugees, and Ivoirians to flee to war-torn Liberia or other regional countries and more than a million people to be internally displaced. Subsequently, violence following the contested 2010 presidential election prompted some 250,000 people to seek refuge in Liberia and other neighboring countries and again internally displaced as many as a million people. By July 2012, the majority had returned home, but ongoing inter-communal tension and armed conflict continue to force people from their homes.
" }, "Age structure": { "0-14 years": { "text": "38.53% (male 5,311,971/female 5,276,219)" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "20.21% (male 2,774,374/female 2,779,012)" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "34.88% (male 4,866,957/female 4,719,286)" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "3.53% (male 494,000/female 476,060)" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "2.85% (male 349,822/female 433,385) (2020 est.)" } }, "Dependency ratios": { "total dependency ratio": { "text": "79.8" }, "youth dependency ratio": { "text": "74.6" }, "elderly dependency ratio": { "text": "5.2" }, "potential support ratio": { "text": "19.3 (2020 est.)" } }, "Median age": { "total": { "text": "20.3 years" }, "male": { "text": "20.3 years" }, "female": { "text": "20.3 years (2020 est.)" } }, "Population growth rate": { "text": "2.21% (2021 est.)" }, "Birth rate": { "text": "28.67 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Death rate": { "text": "7.75 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Net migration rate": { "text": "1.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)" }, "Population distribution": { "text": "the population is primarily located in the forested south, with the highest concentration of people residing in and around the cities on the Atlantic coast; most of the northern savanna remains sparsely populated with higher concentrations located along transportation corridors as shown in this population distribution map" }, "Urbanization": { "urban population": { "text": "52.2% of total population (2021)" }, "rate of urbanization": { "text": "3.38% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)" } }, "Major urban areas - population": { "text": "231,000 YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) (2018), 5.355 million ABIDJAN (seat of government) (2021)" }, "Sex ratio": { "at birth": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "0-14 years": { "text": "1.01 male(s)/female" }, "15-24 years": { "text": "1 male(s)/female" }, "25-54 years": { "text": "1.03 male(s)/female" }, "55-64 years": { "text": "1.04 male(s)/female" }, "65 years and over": { "text": "0.81 male(s)/female" }, "total population": { "text": "1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)" } }, "Mother's mean age at first birth": { "text": "19.8 years (2011/12 est.)For the last 5 years Cote d'Ivoire's growth rate has been among the highest in the world. Cote d'Ivoire is heavily dependent on agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly two-thirds of the population. Cote d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer and exporter of cocoa beans and a significant producer and exporter of coffee and palm oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for these products and to climatic conditions. Cocoa, oil, and coffee are the country's top export revenue earners, but the country has targeted agricultural processing of cocoa, cashews, mangoes, and other commodities as a high priority. Mining gold and exporting electricity are growing industries outside agriculture.
Following the end of more than a decade of civil conflict in 2011, Cote d’Ivoire has experienced a boom in foreign investment and economic growth. In June 2012, the IMF and the World Bank announced $4.4 billion in debt relief for Cote d'Ivoire under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative.
" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2017": { "text": "7.8% (2017 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2016": { "text": "8.3% (2016 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2015": { "text": "8.8% (2015 est.)" } }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019": { "text": "-1.1% (2019 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018": { "text": "0.3% (2018 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017": { "text": "0.6% (2017 est.)" } }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "B+ (2015)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "Ba3 (2015)" } }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019": { "text": "$134.048 billion (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018": { "text": "$126.185 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017": { "text": "$118.051 billion (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$42.498 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2019": { "text": "$5,213 (2019 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2018": { "text": "$5,033 (2018 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2017": { "text": "$4,831 (2017 est.)" }, "note": "note: data are in 2017 dollars" }, "Gross national saving": { "Gross national saving 2018": { "text": "15.7% of GDP (2018 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2017": { "text": "17.4% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Gross national saving 2015": { "text": "19.5% of GDP (2015 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "20.1% (2017 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "26.6% (2017 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "53.3% (2017 est.)" } }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "61.7% (2017 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "14.9% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "22.4% (2017 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "0.3% (2017 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "30.8% (2017 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-30.1% (2017 est.)" } }, "Ease of Doing Business Index scores": { "Overall score": { "text": "60.7 (2020)" }, "Starting a Business score": { "text": "93.7 (2020)" }, "Trading score": { "text": "52.4 (2020)" }, "Enforcement score": { "text": "57.6 (2020)" } }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "yams, cassava, cocoa, oil palm fruit, sugar cane, rice, plantains, maize, cashew nuts, rubber" }, "Industries": { "text": "foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "4.2% (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force": { "text": "8.747 million (2017 est.)" }, "Labor force - by occupation": { "agriculture": { "text": "68% (2007 est.)" } }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2013": { "text": "9.4% (2013 est.)" } }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "39.5% (2018 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2015": { "text": "41.5 (2015 est.)" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1995": { "text": "36.7 (1995)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "2.2%" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "31.8% (2008)" } }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "7.749 billion (2017 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "9.464 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "19.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": { "text": "-4.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2017": { "text": "47% of GDP (2017 est.)" }, "Public debt 2016": { "text": "47% of GDP (2016 est.)" } }, "Fiscal year": { "text": "calendar year" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2017": { "text": "-$1.86 billion (2017 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2016": { "text": "-$414 million (2016 est.)" } }, "Exports": { "Exports 2018": { "text": "$16.326 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Exports 2017": { "text": "$16.274 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Netherlands 10%, United States 6%, France 6%, Spain 5%, Malaysia 5%, Switzerland 5%, Germany 5%, Vietnam 5% (2019)" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "cocoa beans, gold, rubber, refined petroleum, crude petroleum (2019)" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2018": { "text": "$14.248 billion (2018 est.)" }, "Imports 2017": { "text": "$13.486 billion (2017 est.)" } }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "China 18%, Nigeria 13%, France 11% (2019)" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "crude petroleum, rice, frozen fish, refined petroleum, packaged medicines (2019)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017": { "text": "$6.257 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016": { "text": "$4.935 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Debt - external": { "Debt - external 31 December 2017": { "text": "$13.07 billion (31 December 2017 est.)" }, "Debt - external 31 December 2016": { "text": "$11.02 billion (31 December 2016 est.)" } }, "Exchange rates": { "currency": { "text": "Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2017": { "text": "594.3 (2017 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2016": { "text": "593.01 (2016 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2015": { "text": "593.01 (2015 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2014": { "text": "591.45 (2014 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2013": { "text": "494.42 (2013 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "76% (2019)" }, "electrification - urban areas": { "text": "99% (2019)" }, "electrification - rural areas": { "text": "51% (2019)" } }, "Electricity - production": { "text": "9.73 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - consumption": { "text": "6.245 billion kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - exports": { "text": "872 million kWh (2015 est.)" }, "Electricity - imports": { "text": "19 million kWh (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - installed generating capacity": { "text": "1.914 million kW (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from fossil fuels": { "text": "60% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)" }, "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": { "text": "40% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Electricity - from other renewable sources": { "text": "0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)" }, "Crude oil - production": { "text": "52,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)" }, "Crude oil - exports": { "text": "26,700 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - imports": { "text": "62,350 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Crude oil - proved reserves": { "text": "100 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - production": { "text": "69,360 bbl/day (2017 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - consumption": { "text": "51,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - exports": { "text": "31,450 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Refined petroleum products - imports": { "text": "7,405 bbl/day (2015 est.)" }, "Natural gas - production": { "text": "2.322 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - consumption": { "text": "2.322 billion cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - exports": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - imports": { "text": "0 cu m (2017 est.)" }, "Natural gas - proved reserves": { "text": "28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)" } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "271,724" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "1.01 (2019 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "37,376,603" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "139.16 (2019 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "Côte d'Ivoire telecom systems continue to benefit from strong economic growth; fixed-line, Internet, and broadband sectors remain underdeveloped; mobile sector is strong; progress in national backbone network and connection to submarine cable that will increase Internet bandwidth; country is poised to develop broadband market and digital economy; government further tightened SIM card registration rules (2020) (2020)" }, "domestic": { "text": "less than 1 per 100 fixed-line, with multiple mobile-cellular service providers competing in the market, usage has increased to about 145 per 100 persons (2019)" }, "international": { "text": "country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, ACE, MainOne, and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and South and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2019)" }, "note": "note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments" }, "Broadcast media": { "text": "state-controlled Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirieinne (RTI) is made up of 2 radios stations (Radio Cote d'Ivoire and Frequence2) and 2 television stations (RTI1 and RTI2), with nationwide coverage, broadcasts mainly in French; after 2011 post-electoral crisis, President OUATTARA's administration reopened RTI Bouake', the broadcaster's office in Cote d'Ivoire's 2nd largest city, where facilities were destroyed during the 2002 rebellion; Cote d'Ivoire is also home to 178 proximity radios stations, 16 religious radios stations, 5 commercial radios stations, and 5 international radios stations, according to the Haute Autorite' de la Communication Audiovisuelle (HACA); govt now runs radio UNOCIFM, a radio station previously owned by the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire; in Dec 2016, the govt announced 4 companies had been granted licenses to operate -Live TV, Optimum Media Cote d'Ivoire, the Audiovisual Company of Cote d'Ivoire (Sedaci), and Sorano-CI, out of the 4 companies only one has started operating (2019)" }, "Internet country code": { "text": ".ci" }, "Internet users": { "total": { "text": "12,295,204" }, "percent of population": { "text": "46.82% (July 2018 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "216,723" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "1 (2018 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "1 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "10" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "779,482 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "5.8 million mt-km (2018)" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "TU" }, "Airports": { "total": { "text": "27 (2013)" } }, "Airports - with paved runways": { "total": { "text": "7 (2017)" }, "over 3,047 m": { "text": "1 (2017)" }, "2,438 to 3,047 m": { "text": "2 (2017)" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "4 (2017)" } }, "Airports - with unpaved runways": { "total": { "text": "20 (2013)" }, "1,524 to 2,437 m": { "text": "6 (2013)" }, "914 to 1,523 m": { "text": "11 (2013)" }, "under 914 m": { "text": "3 (2013)" } }, "Heliports": { "text": "1 (2013)" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "101 km condensate, 256 km gas, 118 km oil, 5 km oil/gas/water, 7 km water (2013)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "660 km (2008)" }, "narrow gauge": { "text": "660 km 1.000-m gauge (2008)" }, "note": "note: an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso" }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "81,996 km (2007)" }, "paved": { "text": "6,502 km (2007)" }, "unpaved": { "text": "75,494 km (2007)" }, "note": "note: includes intercity and urban roads; another 20,000 km of dirt roads are in poor condition and 150,000 km of dirt roads are impassable" }, "Waterways": { "text": "980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2011)" }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "25" }, "by type": { "text": "oil tanker 2, other 23 (2020)" } }, "Ports and terminals": { "major seaport(s)": { "text": "Abidjan, San-Pedro" }, "oil terminal(s)": { "text": "Espoir Offshore Terminal" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "Armed Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (Forces Armees de Cote d'Ivoire, FACI; aka Republican Forces of Ivory Coast, FRCI): Army (Armee de Terre), Navy (Marine Nationale), Cote Air Force (Force Aerienne Cote), Special Forces (Forces Speciale); National Gendarmerie (under the Ministry of Defense); National Police (under the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection); Coordination Center for Operational Decisions (a mix of police, gendarmerie, and FACI personnel for assisting police in providing security in some large cities) (2020)" }, "Military expenditures": { "Military Expenditures 2019": { "text": "1.1% of GDP (2019 est.)" }, "Military Expenditures 2018": { "text": "1.4% of GDP (2018)" }, "Military Expenditures 2017": { "text": "1.3% of GDP (2017)" }, "Military Expenditures 2016": { "text": "1.7% of GDP (2016)" }, "Military Expenditures 2015": { "text": "1.7% of GDP (2015)" } }, "Military and security service personnel strengths": { "text": "the Armed Forces of Cote d’Ivoire have approximately 25,000 active troops (23,000 Army, including about 2,000 Special Forces; 1,000 Navy; 1,000 Air Force); est. 5-10,000 Gendarmerie (2020)" }, "Military equipment inventories and acquisitions": { "text": "the inventory of the FACI consists mostly of older or second-hand equipment, typically of French or Soviet-era origin; Cote d'Ivoire was under a partial UN arms embargo from 2004 to 2016; since 2016, it has received limited amounts of mostly second-hand equipment from a variety of countries, with Bulgaria as the leading supplier (2020)" }, "Military deployments": { "text": "800 Mali (MINUSMA) (Jan 2021)" }, "Military service age and obligation": { "text": "18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary male and female military service; conscription is not enforced; voluntary recruitment of former rebels into the new national army is restricted to ages 22-29 (2019)" }, "Maritime threats": { "text": "the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea remain a very high risk for piracy and armed robbery of ships; in 2020, there were 98 reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea region; although a 24% decrease from the total number of incidents in 2019, it included all three hijackings and 9 of 11 ships fired upon worldwide; while boarding and attempted boarding to steal valuables from ships and crews are the most common types of incidents, almost a third of all incidents involve a hijacking and/or kidnapping; in 2020, a record 130 crew members were kidnapped in 22 separate incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, representing 95% of kidnappings worldwide; approximately 51% of all incidents of piracy and armed robbery are taking place off Nigeria, which is a decrease from the 71% in 2019 and an indication pirates are traveling further to target vessels; Nigerian pirates are well armed and very aggressive, operating as far as 200 nm offshore; the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued a Maritime Advisory (2021-002 - Gulf of Guinea-Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom) effective 9 January 2021, which states in part, \"Piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping for ransom continue to serve as significant threats to US-flagged vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea.”" }, "Military - note": { "text": "the military has mutinied several times since the late 1990s, most recently in 2017, and has had a large role in the country’s political turmoil; currently, the FACI is focused on internal security and the growing threat posed by Islamic militants associated with the al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorist group operating across the border in Burkina Faso; AQIM militants conducted significant attacks in the country in 2016 and 2020; Côte d’Ivoire since 2016 has stepped up border security and completed building a joint counter-terrorism training center with France near Abidjan in 2020disputed maritime border between Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana
" }, "Refugees and internally displaced persons": { "IDPs": { "text": "308,000 (post-election conflict in 2010-11, as well as civil war from 2002-04; land disputes; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2019)" }, "stateless persons": { "text": "954,531 (2020); note - many Ivoirians lack documentation proving their nationality, which prevent them from accessing education and healthcare; birth on Ivorian soil does not automatically result in citizenship; disputes over citizenship and the associated rights of the large population descended from migrants from neighboring countries is an ongoing source of tension and contributed to the country's 2002 civil war; some observers believe the government's mass naturalizations of thousands of people over the last couple of years is intended to boost its electoral support base; the government in October 2013 acceded to international conventions on statelessness and in August 2013 reformed its nationality law, key steps to clarify the nationality of thousands of residents; since the adoption of the Abidjan Declaration to eradicate statelessness in West Africa in February 2015, 6,400 people have received nationality papers" } }, "Illicit drugs": { "text": "illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for local consumption; utility as a narcotic transshipment point to Europe reduced by ongoing political instability; while rampant corruption and inadequate supervision leave the banking system vulnerable to money laundering, the lack of a developed financial system limits the country's utility as a major money-laundering center" } } }