rime minister appointed by the president
election results: Henri Konan BEDIE elected president; percent of
vote-Henri Konan BEDIE 96%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
Nationale (175 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: elections last held 27 November 1995 (next to be held
November 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-PDCI
150, RDR 13, FPI 12

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of the Cote d'Ivoire
or PDCI [Henri Konan BEDIE]; Rally of the Republicans or RDR [Djeny
KOBINA]; Ivorian Popular Front or FPI [Laurent GBAGBO]; Ivorian
Worker's Party or PIT [Francis WODIE]; Ivorian Socialist Party or 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, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC,
ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Koffi Moise KOUMOUE-KOFFI
chancery: 2424 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 797-0300

Diplomatic representation from the US:
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 description: 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

@Cote d'Ivoire:Economy

Economy-overview: Cote d'Ivoire is among the world's largest producers
and exporters of coffee, cocoa beans, and palm oil. Consequently, the
economy is highly sensitive to fluctuations in international prices
for these products and to weather conditions. Despite attempts by the
government to diversify the economy, it is still largely dependent on
agriculture and related activities, which engage roughly 85% of the
population. After several years of lagging performance, the Ivorian
economy began a comeback in 1994, due to improved prices for cocoa and
coffee, growth in nontraditiona