TAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

:Ivory Coast Government

Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Charles GOMIS; Chancery at 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 797-0300
US:
Ambassador Kenneth L. BROWN; Embassy at 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan (mailing
address is 01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan); telephone [225] 21-09-79 or 21-46-72,
FAX [225] 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

:Ivory Coast Economy

Overview:
Ivory Coast 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.
The agricultural sector accounts for over one-third of GDP and about 80% of
export earnings and employs about 85% of the labor force. A collapse of
world cocoa and coffee prices in 1986 threw the economy into a recession,
from which the country had not recovered by 1990. Continuing poor prices for
commodity exports, an overvalued exchange rate, a bloated public-sector wage
bill, and a large foreign debt hindered economic recovery in 1991.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $10 billion, per capita $800; real growth rate
-2.9% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.8% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
14% (1985)
Budget:
revenues $2.8 billion (1989 est.); expenditures $4.1 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports:
$2.5 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
commodities:
cocoa 30%, coffee 20%, tropical woods 11%, cotton, bananas, pineapples, palm
oil, cotton
partners:
France, FRG, Netherlands, US, Belgium, Spain (1985)
Imports:
$1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
commodities:
manufactured goods and semifinished products 50%, consumer goods 40%, raw
materials and fuels 10%
partners:
France, other EC, Nigeria, US, Japan (1985)
External debt:
$15.0 billion (1990 es