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Map of Cote-d'Ivoire

Côte d'Ivoire

In Côte d'Ivoire, land issues are crucial for agricultural development, social peace and the legitimacy of political authorities. From 1960 to 1980, the country experienced strong economic growth due to the strength of the agricultural sector, particularly cash crops for export. Encouraged by the policies of President Félix Houphouët-Boigny (1960-1993), many migrants, both Ivorians and foreigners, settled in the south of the country to practice agriculture. The "Ivorian miracle" ran out of steam in the 1980s. From 1999 to 2011, Côte d'Ivoire experienced a series of political crises and ethnic violence related to access to land.
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Socio-economic indicators browse all
Land Area
31,800,000 ha
GINI Index
41.5
GDP/Capita
3,733.1 USD
Total population
25,069,229
Urban population
50.8 %
Land-related indicators browse all
Agricultural land
66.7 %
Perceived tenure security
58.8 %
Primary forests
625,000 ha
Women owning land
2.6 %

More on this country

Nearly 64% of the land is devoted to agriculture and extensive livestock, in a context where 68% of the active population works in the agricultural sector. The dense forests in the south and west, which used to cover a third of the territory, have decreased significantly since the colonial period.