Population
The Ivory Coast had an average population density of 78 residents per km 2 in 2019. However, the population is very unevenly distributed, with strong concentration in the Abidjan area. The country has a very young population; 42 percent of residents are under 15 years of age.
In 2019, 51 percent of the population lived in urban areas. The largest cities are Abidjan (4.7 million residents, 2015) and Bouaké (542,000 residents).
Most of Cote d’Ivoire’s more than 60 ethnic groups are divided into four main linguistic groups, the Kwa-speaking Akan people in the South-East, the Kwa-speaking Kuwaiti in the Southwest, Man-speaking peoples in the central parts of the country and in the North-West, and Gur-speaking people in the North; in addition, smaller groups of Kwa-speaking lagoon people in the south. All these people feed mainly on agriculture, on the coast and along the rivers in combination with fishing. Base crops are jams, cassava, bananas and sweet potatoes in the former forest area, rice in the coastal band and sorghum on the savanna. Breeding crops comprise, among other things, coffee, cotton, cocoa, peanuts and tobacco. In addition to the African peoples, almost 60,000 Lebanese and 10,000 French and other Europeans were previously noticed, mainly in the cities.
The Akan people are made up of baule who, with just over 3 million, are the country’s largest ethnic group, as well as anyi (610,000) and akie (200,000); these peoples have matrilineal lineage and were traditionally organized in a series of chiefdom, which for Baule’s part in the 18th century was united in a larger kingdom. The people of Kruger include Lower or We (320,000), on the border with Liberia, and Pasture (500,000), east of Niger’s area. They are organized into patrilineal descent groups without centralized political leadership.
Among the male-speaking peoples, there are (500,000) in the northwest, known for their “secret societies” (porn), and gurus (380,000) in the region around Bouaflé. The Muslim people also include the Muslim traders Dyula (253,000) and Soninke (an estimated 115,000) in the north; the latter are immigrants from Mali.
The Guru-speaking peoples include senufo (1.1 million) in the north and kulango-bouna (200,000) in the east, and 206,000 from Burkina Faso immigrated lobby in the northeast; these people, like Dan and Guro, form the tribal communities (ie lack formal political leadership). The lagoon people, who are culturally related to Akan, comprise a number of smaller groups, including monkey (300,000), avikam (30,000) and ebrie (82,000). More than a quarter of the population consists of immigrants from other African countries.
Demography and economic geographyState of West Africa. With a life expectancy of 50.7 years (2013), the population (20,804,774 residents, According to an estimate by UNDE SA, United Nations Depart ment of Economic and Social Affairs, of 2014, of which 52% under 19) grows by 2.3% a year. 53% live in the urban area, especially Abidjan (4,708,000 residents, according to a sti ma of 2014), seat of the government; the capital, Yamoussoukro, does not exceed 300,000 residents. Exporter of cocoa (1.35 ml of t, first world producer), cashews, coffee, palm oil, rubber, diamonds, gold, petroleum, the country represents, with a discrete manufacturing sector, the second economy of the region – Per capita GDP at purchasing power parity (PPA) of $ 2902 (2014) -, recovering (GDP, + 8.5%) after the collapse of the 2010-11 period due to post-election instability. Poverty remains (60% of the residents; 171th place in the Human Development Index), spread of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), insecurity (in the west) with the sad reality of child soldiers.
Language
According to thesciencetutor, the official language in Ivory Coast is French. The indigenous population speaks some seventy different languages, mainly from the Niger-Congo languages (branches kwa, gur, kru and mande) The two largest are baule (15%) and senufo (9%). See also the section population and Ethnography above.
Religion
About 60% of the population encompasses traditional African religions. About 24% are Muslims, less than 16% are Roman Catholics. The largest among the Protestant groups are the Methodists. Syncretism is widespread.
