"evliyasems's new Cote ..." a Cote D'Ivoire Travel Page by evliyasems

Côte d'Ivoire borders Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. The southern and western parts of the country feature undulating countryside rising to meet the savannah plains of the north and the mountainous western border. Major rivers flow into a series of lagoons. Abidjan, former capital and the largest city, is dominated by the Plateau, the central commercial district. The older, more traditional heart of the city is Treichville, home of many bars, restaurants and nightclubs as well as the colourful central market. In the west of the country is the attractive town of Man, situated in a region of forested mountains and plateaux. The nearby waterfalls are very popular tourist excursions. The administrative capital is Yamoussoukro, about 230km (143 miles) north of Abidjan. The town has a lively market and an international-standard golf course. Traditional dishes are kedjenou (chicken cooked with different vegetables and sealed in banana leaves) and attieké (cassava dish). For nightlife, Abidjan is the liveliest area with its hotels and lagoon-side tourist resorts.

General Information

Area: 322,462 sq km (124,503 sq miles).

Population: 14,781,000 (1996).

Population Density: 45.8 per sq km.

Capital: Yamoussoukro (administrative and political capital since 1983). Population: 130,000 (1990). Abidjan (former capital). Population: 2,797,000 (1995).

Geography: Côte d'Ivoire shares borders with Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. There are 600km (370 miles) of coast on the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean). The southern and western parts of the country are forested, with undulating countryside rising to meet the savannah plains of the north and the mountainous western border. Three rivers, the Sassandra, the Bandama and the Comoé, run directly north-south and, on their approach to the coast, flow into a series of lagoons. Birdlife is plentiful throughout the country, but particularly so near the coast.

Government: Republic. Gained independence from France in 1960. In 1999, the army took power and installed a National Council for Public Salvation. Head of State: President Laurent Gbago since 2000. Head of Government: Prime Minister Affi N'Guessan since 2000.

Language: The official language is French. The main African languages are Yacouba, Senoufo, Baoulé, Betie, Attie, Agni and Dioula (the market language).

Religion: 39 per cent Muslim, 26 per cent Christian, 17 per cent traditional beliefs.

Time: GMT.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round 2-pin plugs are standard.

Communications: International telecommunications are available in major towns/centres.

Telephone: IDD is available. Country code: 225. Outgoing international code: 00.

Mobile telephone: GSM 900 network. Network operators include S.I.M (website: www.ivoiris.ci).

Internet: ISPs include Aviso, Africa On Line and Globeaccess. Public access is available at cybercafés in Abidjan.

Post: Airmail to Europe takes up to two weeks. Post office opening hours: Mon-Fri 0730-1200 and 1430-1800.

Press: All newspapers are in French.

BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change.

BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice):

MHz 17.83 15.40 11.77 7.160

Passport/Visa
Passport Required? Visa Required? Return Ticket Required?
British Yes Yes Yes
Australian Yes Yes Yes
Canadian Yes Yes Yes
USA Yes Yes Yes
OtherEU Yes Yes Yes
Japanese Yes Yes Yes

PASSPORTS: Passports valid for 6 months after intended length of stay required by all except nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo holding national ID cards.

VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of other ECOWAS countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Congo (Rep. of), Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo) for stays of up to 3 months;
(b) nationals of Andorra, Chad, Morocco, Seychelles, San Marino, Tunisia and Vatican City for stays of up to 3 months;

Types of visa and cost: Tourist, Business and Transit. Single-entry: £35; Multiple-entry: £45. Prices given are for UK nationals.

Validity: 3 months.
Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy) see address section.

Application requirements: Tourism: (a) Valid passport. (b) 1 application form. (c) 1 passport-size photo. (d) Evidence of hotel booking or letter of invitation from Côte d'Ivoire resident. (e) Return ticket or travel itinerary. (f) Stamped, self-addressed envelope for return of passport (if applying by post). (g) Fee. Business: (a)-(g) and (h) Official letters from companies in home country and in Côte d'Ivoire.

Note: (a) A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for all travellers over one year of age.

Working days required: 2.
Money

Currency: CFA (Communauté Financiaire Africaine) Franc (CFAfr) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of CFAfr10,000, 5000, 2500, 1000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of CFAfr250, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1. Côte d'Ivoire is part of the French Monetary Area. Only currency issued by the Banque des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (Bank of West African States) is valid; currency issued by the Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale (Bank of Central African States) is not. The CFA Franc is tied to the Euro.

Currency exchange: Currency can be exchanged at the airport as well as at main banks and hotels.

Credit & debit cards: American Express and MasterCard are widely accepted; Visa and Diners Club have more limited use. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other facilities which may be available.

Travellers cheques: These are accepted in hotels, restaurants and some shops.

Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the CFA Franc against Sterling and the US Dollar:

Date May '01 Aug '01 Nov '01 Feb '02
£1.00= 1063.19 1039.19 1053.75 1069.41
$1.00= 748.72 718.47 748.30 747.79

Currency restrictions: The import of local currency is unlimited. The export of local currency is limited to amounts up to the value of CFAfr10,000. The import of all foreign currency other than French Francs must be declared. The export of foreign currency is limited to amounts up to the equivalent of CFAfr25,000 or the amount imported and declared on arrival. There is no restriction on the re-export of unused travellers cheques and letters of credit.

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1300 and 1400-1730.

Public Holidays

Jan 1 2002 New Year's Day. Feb 25 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Mar 29 Good Friday. Apr 1 Easter Monday. May 1 Labour Day. May 9 Ascension Day. May 24 Whit Monday. May 25 Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet). Aug 7 Independence Day. Aug 15 Assumption. Nov 1 All Saints' Day. Nov 15 The Peace Day. Dec 7 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Remembrance Day. Dec 6-8 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). Dec 25 Christmas. Jan 1 2003 New Year's Day. Feb 13 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Apr 18 Good Friday. Apr 21 Easter Monday. May 1 Labour Day. May 15 Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet). May 29 Ascension Day. Jun 9 Whit Monday. Aug 7 Independence Day. Aug 15 Assumption. Nov 1 All Saints' Day. Nov 15 The Peace Day. Nov 25-27 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). Dec 7 Félix Houphouët-Boigny Remembrance Day. Dec 25 Christmas.

Note: (a) Holidays that fall on a Sunday are often observed on the following day. (b) Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the Moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to ten days, depending on the region. For more information see the World of Islam appendix.

Health

Special Precautions Certificate Required
Yellow Fever Yes 1
Cholera Yes 2
Typhoid and Polio Yes N/A
Malaria 3 N/A
Food and Drink 4 N/A

1: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age coming from all countries.

2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is no longer a condition of entry to Côte d'Ivoire. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination, as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness. See the Health appendix for more information.

3: Malaria risk (and risk of other insect-borne diseases) exists throughout the year in the whole country, including urban areas. The malignant falciparum form is prevalent. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. A weekly dose of 250mg of mefloquine is the recommended prophylaxis.

4: All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid dairy products which are likely to have been made from unboiled milk. Only eat well cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Other risks: Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water. Swimming pools which are well chlorinated and maintained are safe. Hepatitis B is hyperendemic and hepatitis A and E are widespread. Meningitis risk is present depending on area visited and time of year. Sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) is reported. There is a high incidence of HIV/Aids.
Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.

Health care: Health care facilities in the main towns are up to international standards; medical insurance is essential.