follows; Constitutional Court; Council of State; Court of
Final Appeals or Cour de Cassation; Court of Appeals

Political parties and leaders: African Party for Democracy and
secretary general]; Democratic League-Labor Party Movement or LD-MPT

Political pressure groups and leaders: students; teachers; labor;
Muslim brotherhoods

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC,
ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MINURCA, MIPONUH, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OIC,
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH,
UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou Mansour SECK
chancery: 2112 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Dane Farnsworth SMITH, Jr.
embassy: Avenue Jean XXIII at the corner of Avenue Kleber, Dakar
mailing address: B. P. 49, Dakar

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist
side), yellow, and red with a small green five-pointed star centered
in the yellow band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy

Economy--overview: In January 1994, Senegal undertook a bold and
ambitious economic reform program with the support of the
international donor community. This reform began with a 50%
devaluation of Senegal's currency, the CFA franc, which is linked at
a fixed rate to the French franc. Government price controls and
subsidies have been steadily dismantled. After seeing its economy
contract by 2.1% in 1993, Senegal made an important turnaround,
thanks to the reform program, with real growth in GDP averaging 5%
annually in 1995-98. Annual inflation has been pushed below 2%, and
the fiscal deficit has been cut to less than 1.5% of GDP. Investment
rose steadily from 13.8% of GDP in 1993 to 16.5% in 1997. As a
member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA),
Senegal is working toward greater regional integration with a
unified external tariff. Senegal also realized full Internet
connectivity in 1996, creating a miniboom in information
technology-based services. Private activity now accounts for 82% of
GDP. On the negative side, Senegal faces deep-seated urban problems
of chronic unemployment,