e unfilled seats, elections for 3 were
postponed because of violence in the electoral districts and 1 seat
remains contested
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of the Cote
d'Ivoire (PDCI), Henri Konan BEDIE; Rally of the Republicans (RDR),
Djeny KOBINA; Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), Laurent GBAGBO; Ivorian
Worker's Party (PIT), Francis WODIE; Ivorian Socialist Party (PSI),
Morifere BAMBA; over 20 smaller parties
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WADB, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Moise KOUMOUE-KOFFI
chancery: 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (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: [225] 21 09 79
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
Economy
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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
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