orld Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993
because of the government's gross corruption and mismanagement.
Businesses, for the most part, are owned by government officials and
their family members. Undeveloped natural resources include
titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Oil
exploration, taking place under concessions offered to US, French,
and Spanish firms, has been moderately successful. In 1995, exports
responded to the devaluation of 12 January 1994, apparently
resulting in a sizable surplus and strong GDP growth. Increased
production from recently discovered oil and natural gas fields will
provide a greater share of exports in 1996-97.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $325 million (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate: 10% (1995 est.)

GDP per capita: $800 (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 47%
industry: 26%
services: 27% (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 41% (1994 est.)

Labor force: 172,000 (1986 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 66%, services 23%, industry 11% (1980)
note: labor shortages on plantations

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $32.5 million
expenditures: $35.9 million, including capital expenditures of $3
million (1992 est.)

Industries: fishing, sawmilling

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity:
capacity: 23,000 kW
production: 20 million kWh
consumption per capita: 50 kWh (1993)

Agriculture: coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca),
bananas, palm oil nuts, manioc; livestock; timber

Exports: $62 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: coffee, cocoa beans, timber, petroleum
partners: Spain, Nigeria, Cameroon, Japan, Portugal

Imports: $60 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities: petroleum, food, beverages, clothing, machinery
partners: Cameroon, Spain, France, US, Italy, Netherlands

External debt: $268 million (1993 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA

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: 1 April - 31 March

Transportation
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Railways:
total: 0 km

Highways:
to