Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Cote d'Ivoire
conventional short form:
Cote d'Ivoire
local long form:
Republique de Cote d'Ivoire
local short form:
Cote d'Ivoire
note:
pronounced coat-div-whar
former:
Ivory Coast
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Government type:
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republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960
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Capital:
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name: Yamoussoukro
geographic coordinates:
6 49 N, 5 16 W
time difference:
UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note:
although Yamoussoukro has been the official capital since 1983, Abidjan remains the commercial and administrative center; the US, like other countries, maintains its Embassy in Abidjan
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Administrative divisions:
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19 regions; Agneby, Bafing, Bas-Sassandra, Denguele, Dix-Huit Montagnes, Fromager, Haut-Sassandra, Lacs, Lagunes, Marahoue, Moyen-Cavally, Moyen-Comoe, N'zi-Comoe, Savanes, Sud-Bandama, Sud-Comoe, Vallee du Bandama, Worodougou, Zanzan
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Independence:
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7 August 1960 (from France)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 7 August (1960)
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Constitution:
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approved by referendum 23 July 2000
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Legal system:
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civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court
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International law organization participation:
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accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction under Article 12(3)of the Rome Statute
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010)
head of government:
Prime Minister Daniel Kablan DUNCAN (since 21 November 2012)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held on 31 October and 28 November 2010 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president
election results:
Alassane OUATTARA elected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA 54.1%, Laurent GBAGBO 45.9%; note - President OUATTARA was declared winner by the election commission and took the oath of office on 4 December, Prime Minister SORO resigned from the incumbent administration and was subsequently appointed to the same position by OUATTARA; former president GBAGBO refused to cede resulting in a 5-month stand-off, he was finally forced to stand down in April 2011
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (225 seats; members elected in single- and multi-district elections by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections:
elections last held on 11 December 2011 (next to be held in 2016)
election results:
percent of vote by party - RDR 42.1%, PDCI 28.6% UDPCI 3.1%, RDP 1.7%, other 24.5% ; seats by party - RDR 127, PDCI 76, UPDCI 7, RDP 4, other 4, independents 39
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Judicial branch:
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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
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Political parties and leaders:
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Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Theodore MEL EG]; Democratic Liberty for the Republic or LIDER [Mamadou KOULIBALY]; Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE]; Freedom and Democracy for the Republic or LIBRE [Mamadou KOULIBALY]; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Miaka OURETO]; Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Francois KOUABLAN]; Opposition Movement of the Future or MFA [Innocent Augustin ANAKY]; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Alassane OUATTARA]; Union for Democracy and Peace in Cote d'Ivoire or UDPCI [Toikeuse MABRI]; over 144 smaller registered parties
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Federation of University and High School Students of Cote d'Ivoire or FESCI [Serges KOFFI]; National Congress for the Resistance and Democracy or CNRD [Bernard DADIE]; Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP [Alphonse DJEDJE MADY]; Young Patriots [Charles BLE GOUDE]
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (candidate country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Daouda DIABATE
chancery:
2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 797-0300
FAX:
[1] (202) 462-9444
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Philip CARTER III
embassy:
Cocody Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan
mailing address:
B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01
telephone:
[225] 22 49 40 00
FAX:
[225] 22 49 43 32
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Flag description:
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three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; orange symbolizes the land (savannah) of the north and fertility, white stands for peace and unity, green represents the forests of the south and the hope for a bright future
note:
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
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National symbol(s):
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elephant
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National anthem:
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name: "L'Abidjanaise" (Song of Abidjan)
lyrics/music:
Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO
note:
adopted 1960; although the nation's capital city moved from Abidjan to Yamoussoukro in 1983, the anthem still owes its name to the former capital
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