Part 184

Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Moise KOUMOUE-KOFFI chancery: 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 797-0300

US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Lannon WALKER embassy: 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan mailing address: 01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan telephone: 21 09 79 FAX: 22 32 59

Flag: three equal vertical bands of orange (hoist side), white, and green; 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

Economy -------

Economic overview: Cote d'Ivoire is among the world's largest producers and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm-kernel oil. Consequently, the economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices for coffee and cocoa and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the government to diversify, the economy is still largely dependent on agriculture and related industries. After several years of lagging performance, the Ivorian economy began a comeback in 1994, due to improved prices for cocoa and coffee, growth in nontraditional primary exports such as pineapples and rubber, trade and banking liberalization, offshore oil and gas discoveries, and generous external financing and debt rescheduling by multilateral lenders and France. The 50% devaluation of Franc Zone currencies on 12 January 1994 caused a one-time jump in the inflation rate to 32% for 1994, but this rate fell to perhaps 10% in 1995, in part as the economy adjusted to the devaluation. Moreover, government adherence to donor-mandated reforms led to a budget surplus in 1994. Real growth of GDP in 1994 was 1.7%, a significant improvement following several years of negative growth. In 1995 growth picked up to 5%.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $21.9 billion (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 5% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $1,500 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector: agriculture: 37% industry: 24% services: 39% (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1995 est.)

Labor force: 5.718 million by occupation: over 85% of population engaged in agriculture, forestry, livestock raising; about 11% of labor force are wage earners, nearly half in agriculture and the remainder in government, industry, commerce, and professions

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $1.9 billion expenditures: $3.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $408 million (1993)

Industries: foodstuffs, beverages; wood products, oil refining, automobile assembly, textiles, fertilizer, construction materials, electricity

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity: capacity: 1,170,000 kW production: 1.8 billion kWh consumption per capita: 123 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: coffee, cocoa beans, bananas, palm kernels, corn, rice, manioc, sweet potatoes, sugar; cotton, rubber; timber

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis; mostly for local consumption; some international drug trade; transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin to Europe and occasionally to the US

Exports: $2.9 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: cocoa 55%, coffee 12%, tropical woods 11%, petroleum, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm oil, cotton, fish partners: France, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Burkina Faso, US, UK

Imports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: food, capital goods, consumer goods, fuel partners: France, Nigeria, Japan, Netherlands, US, Italy

External debt: $19 billion (1993)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $552 million (1993)

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 500.56 (January 1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948

Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation --------------

Railways: total: 660 km (1995 est.) narrow gauge: 660 km 1.000-meter gauge; 25 km double track

Highways: total: 46,331 km paved: 3,579 km unpaved: 42,752 km (1984 est.)