2015 Edition

Background

Close ties to France following independence in 1960, the development of cocoa production for export, and foreign investment all made Cote d'Ivoire one of the most prosperous of the West African states but did not protect it from political turmoil. In December 1999, a military coup - the first ever in Cote d'Ivoire's history - overthrew the government. Junta leader Robert GUEI blatantly rigged elections held in late 2000 and declared himself the winner. Popular protest forced him to step aside and brought Laurent GBAGBO into power. Ivorian dissidents and disaffected members of the military launched a failed coup attempt in September 2002 that developed into a rebellion and then a civil war. The war ended in 2003 with a cease-fire that left the country divided with the rebels holding the north, the government the south, and peacekeeping forces a buffer zone between the two. In March 2007, President GBAGBO and former New Forces rebel leader Guillaume SORO signed an agreement in which SORO joined GBAGBO's government as prime minister and the two agreed to reunite the country by dismantling the buffer zone, integrating rebel forces into the national armed forces, and holding elections. Difficulties in preparing electoral registers delayed balloting until 2010. In November 2010, Alassane Dramane OUATTARA won the presidential election over GBAGBO, but GBAGBO refused to hand over power, resulting in a five-month stand-off. In April 2011, after widespread fighting, GBAGBO was formally forced from office by armed OUATTARA supporters with the help of UN and French forces. Several thousand UN peacekeepers and several hundred French troops remain in Cote d'Ivoire to support the transition process. OUATTARA is focused on rebuilding the country's economy and infrastructure while rebuilding the security forces. GBAGBO is in The Hague awaiting trial for crimes against humanity.

Area

land

318,003 sq km

total

322,463 sq km

water

4,460 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than New Mexico

Climate

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)

Coastline

515 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Monts Nimba 1,752 m

lowest point

Gulf of Guinea 0 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation (most of the country's forests - once the largest in West Africa - have been heavily logged); water pollution from sewage and industrial and agricultural effluents

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

83.07 cu m/yr (2008)

total

1.55 cu km/yr (41%/21%/38%)

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 5 00 W

Geography - note

most of the inhabitants live along the sandy coastal region; apart from the capital area, the forested interior is sparsely populated

Irrigated land

727.5 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (5)

Burkina Faso 545 km, Ghana 720 km, Guinea 816 km, Liberia 778 km, Mali 599 km

total

3,458 km

Land use

arable land 9.1%; permanent crops 14.2%; permanent pasture 41.5%

agricultural land

64.8%

forest

32.7%

other

2.5% (2011 est.)

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Ghana and Liberia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

coast has heavy surf and no natural harbors; during the rainy season torrential flooding is possible

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower

Terrain

mostly flat to undulating plains; mountains in northwest

Total renewable water resources

81.14 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

37.94% (male 4,456,646/female 4,381,907)

15-24 years

20.95% (male 2,459,156/female 2,420,284)

25-54 years

33.53% (male 3,997,615/female 3,812,563)

55-64 years

4.25% (male 495,177/female 493,854)

65 years and over

3.34% (male 375,276/female 402,824) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

28.67 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Child labor - children ages 5-14

percentage

35% (2006 est.)

total number

1,796,802

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

15.7% (2012)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

18.2% (2011/12)

Death rate

9.55 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.6%

potential support ratio

18% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

83.5%

youth dependency ratio

77.9%

Drinking water source

urban: 93.1% of population

rural: 68.8% of population

total: 81.9% of population

urban: 6.9% of population

rural: 31.2% of population

total: 18.1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

Akan 42.1%, Voltaiques or Gur 17.6%, Northern Mandes 16.5%, Krous 11%, Southern Mandes 10%, other 2.8% (includes 130,000 Lebanese and 14,000 French) (1998)

Health expenditures

5.7% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.67% (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

27,900 (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

371,600 (2013 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2006)

Infant mortality rate

female

52.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

64.77 deaths/1,000 live births

total

58.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official), 60 native dialects of which Dioula is the most widely spoken

Life expectancy at birth

female

59.51 years (2015 est.)

male

57.21 years

total population

58.34 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

32.5% (2015 est.)

male

53.1%

total population

43.1%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact disease

rabies

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)

respiratory disease

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever

water contact disease

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

YAMOUSSOUKRO (capital) 259,000 (2014); ABIDJAN (seat of government) 4.86 million; Bouake 762,000 (2015)

Median age

female

20.2 years (2014 est.)

male

20.3 years

total

20.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Ivoirian

noun

Ivoirian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8% (2014)

Physicians density

0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

Population

23,295,302

note

estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.91% (2015 est.)

Religions

Muslim 38.6%, Christian 32.8%, indigenous 11.9%, none 16.7% (2008 est.)

note

the majority of foreigners (migratory workers) are Muslim (70%) and Christian (20%)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 32.8% of population

rural: 10.3% of population

total: 22.5% of population

urban: 67.2% of population

rural: 89.7% of population

total: 77.5% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

8 years (2013)

male

10 years

total

9 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.02 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.05 male(s)/female

55-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.93 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.54 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.69% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

54.2% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

12 districts and 2 autonomous districts*; Abidjan*, Bas-Sassandra, Comoe, Denguele, Goh-Djiboua, Lacs, Lagunes, Montagnes, Sassandra-Marahoue, Savanes, Vallee du Bandama, Woroba, Yamoussoukro*, Zanzan

Capital

geographic coordinates

6 49 N, 5 16 W

name

Yamoussoukro; 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

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

previous 1960; latest approved by referendum 23 July 2000; amended 2012 (2012)

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Cote d'Ivoire

conventional short form

Cote d'Ivoire

former

Ivory Coast

local long form

Republique de Cote d'Ivoire

local short form

Cote d'Ivoire

note

pronounced coat-div-whar

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Terence Patrick MCCULLEY (since 21 November 2013)

embassy

Cocody Riviera Golf 01, Abidjan

FAX

[225] 22 49 42 02

mailing address

B. P. 1712, Abidjan 01

telephone

[225] 22 49 40 00

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Daouda DIABATE (since 11 February 2011)

FAX

[1] (202) 462-9444

telephone

[1] (202) 797-0300

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Alassane Dramane OUATTARA (since 4 December 2010)

election results

Alassane OUATTARA elected president; percent of vote - Alassane OUATTARA (RDR) 54.1%, Laurent GBAGBO (FPI) 45.9%; note - Prime Minister SORO resigned from the incumbent administration and was subsequently appointed to the same position by OUATTARA; on 12 March 2011, SORO was elected to the National Assembly and resigned as prime minister the same day; former president GBAGBO refused to cede office, resulting in a 5-month standoff, but was finally forced to stand down in April 2011

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-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

head of government

Prime Minister Daniel Kablan DUNCAN (since 21 November 2012)

Flag description

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

Government type

republic; multiparty presidential regime established 1960

Independence

7 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (organized into Judicial, Audit, Constitutional, and Administrative Chambers; consists of the court president, 3 vice-presidents for the Judicial, Audit, and Administrative chambers, and 9 associate justices or magistrates)

judge selection and term offfice

judges nominated by the Superior Council of the Magistrature, a 7-member body consisting of the national president (chairman), 3 "bench" judges, and 3 public prosecutors; judges appointed for life

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal (organized into civil, criminal, and social chambers); first instance courts; peace courts

Legal system

civil law system based on the French civil code; judicial review of legislation held in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (225 seats; members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

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, UDPCI 7, RDP 4, other 2, independents 39

elections

last held on 11 December 2011 (next to be held in 2016)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Mathieu EKRA, Joachim BONY, and Pierre Marie COTY/Pierre Marie COTY and Pierre Michel PANGO

name

"L'Abidjanaise" (Song of Abidjan)

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 7 August (1960)

National symbol(s)

elephant; national colors: orange, white, green

Political parties and leaders

Citizen's Democratic Union or UDCY [Theodore MEL EG]

Democracy and Liberty for the Republic or LIDER [Mamadou KOULIBALY]

Democratic Party of Cote d'Ivoire or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE]

Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Pascal AFFI NGUESSAN]

Ivorian Worker's Party or PIT [Daniel AKA AHIZ]

Movement of the Future Forces or MFA [Innocent Augustin ANAKY KOBENA]

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

Federation of University and High School Students of Cote d'Ivoire or FESCI [Augustin MIAN]

National Congress for the Resistance and Democracy or CNRD [Bernard DADIE]

Panafrican Congress for Justice and Peoples Equality or COJEP [Roselin BLY]

Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace or RHDP

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sweet potatoes, sugar, cotton, rubber; timber

Budget

expenditures

$8.173 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$7.218 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2010)

4.25% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

3.5% (31 December 2014 est.)

3.5% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.113 billion (2014 est.)

-$350.2 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$11.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$10.26 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

41.5 (2008)

36.7 (1995)

Economy - overview

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 in climatic conditions. Cocoa, oil, and coffee are the country's top export revenue earners, but the country is also mining gold. The country boasted two offshore oil finds in 2012. 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.

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

491.2 (2014 est.)

494.04 (2013 est.)

510.29 (2012 est.)

471.87 (2011 est.)

495.28 (2010 est.)

Exports

$14.58 billion (2014 est.)

$12.87 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

cocoa, coffee, timber, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, fish

Exports - partners

Ghana 8.8%, Netherlands 8.5%, Nigeria 8.4%, US 6.8%, Germany 6.1%, Gabon 5.7%, France 5.1%, Belgium 4.5% (2013)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

49.6%

government consumption

12.4%

household consumption

65.5%

imports of goods and services

-45.6%

investment in fixed capital

18.2%

investment in inventories

0%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

25.9%

industry

21.9%

services

52.1% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,100 (2014 est.)

$2,900 (2013 est.)

$2,700 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

7.5% (2014 est.)

8.7% (2013 est.)

10.7% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$33.96 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$71.12 billion (2014 est.)

$66.17 billion (2013 est.)

$60.88 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

13.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

12.1% of GDP (2013 est.)

15.3% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

31.8% (2008)

lowest 10%

2.2%

Imports

$9.788 billion (2014 est.)

$8.976 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

fuel, capital equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Nigeria 23.1%, France 12.1%, China 8.7%, Bahamas, The 6.4% (2013)

Industrial production growth rate

8.4% (2014 est.)

Industries

foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, gold mining, truck and bus assembly, textiles, fertilizer, building materials, electricity

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.4% (2014 est.)

2.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

8.118 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

68%

industry and services

NA% (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$7.829 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$6.288 billion (31 December 2011)

$7.099 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

42% (2006 est.)

Public debt

42.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

44.6% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$4.752 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$4.243 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$12.23 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$11.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$NA

Stock of domestic credit

$9.294 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$8.693 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$8.227 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$7.72 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

21.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

6.403 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

32,190 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

49,780 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - production

37,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

100 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

3.89 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - exports

615 million kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

60.3% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

39.7% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2011 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.522 million kW (2011 est.)

Electricity - production

5.87 billion kWh (2011 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

1.619 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.619 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

28.32 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

22,760 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

38,300 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

4,810 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

55,890 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Broadcast media

2 state-owned TV stations; no private terrestrial TV stations, but satellite TV subscription service is available; 2 state-owned radio stations; some private radio stations; transmissions of several international broadcasters are available (2007)

Internet country code

.ci

Internet users

percent of population

2.7% (2014 est.)

total

621,500

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (1998)

Telephone system

domestic

with multiple mobile-cellular service providers competing in the market, usage has increased sharply to roughly 80 per 100 persons

general assessment

well-developed by African standards; telecommunications sector privatized in late 1990s and operational fixed lines have increased since that time with two fixed-line providers operating over open-wire lines, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optics; 90% digitalized

international

country code - 225; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

240,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

97 (2014 est.)

total

22.1 million

Television broadcast stations

14 (1998)

Airports

27 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

4 (2013)

2,438 to 3,047 m

2

over 3,047 m

1

total

7

Airports - with unpaved runways

3 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

6

914 to 1,523 m

11

total

20

Heliports

1 (2013)

Pipelines

condensate 101 km; gas 256 km; oil 118 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; water 7 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Abidjan, San-Pedro

oil terminal(s)

Espoir Offshore Terminal

Railways

narrow gauge

660 km 1.000-m gauge

note

an additional 622 km of this railroad extends into Burkina Faso (2008)

total

660 km

Roadways

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 (2007)

paved

6,502 km

total

81,996 km

unpaved

75,494 km

Waterways

980 km (navigable rivers, canals, and numerous coastal lagoons) (2011)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

5,047,901 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

5,247,522

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

3,196,033 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

3,360,087

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

242,958 (2010 est.)

male

247,011

Military branches

Republican Forces of Cote d'Ivoire (Force Republiques de Cote d'Ivoire, FRCI): Army, Navy, Cote d'Ivoire Air Force (Force Aerienne de la Cote d'Ivoire) (2015)

Military expenditures

1.65% of GDP (2012)

1.49% of GDP (2011)

1.65% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

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 (2012)

Disputes - international

disputed maritime border between Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana

Illicit drugs

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 (2008)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

300,900 (post-election conflict in 2010-2011, as well as civil war from 2002-2004; most pronounced in western and southwestern regions) (2015)

stateless persons

700,000 (2014); 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