e five-year terms)
elections: elections last held 27 November 1995 (next to be held NA
November 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--PDCI
150, RDR 13, FPI 12
note: a Senate will be created in 2000

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party of the Cote

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, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MINURCA, NAM, OAU, OPCW,
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

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador George MU
embassy: 5 Rue Jesse Owens, Abidjan
mailing address: 01 B. P. 1712, Abidjan

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

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 68% of the population. After several years of lagging
performance, the Ivorian economy began a comeback in 1994, due to
the devaluation of the CFA franc and improved prices for cocoa and
coffee, growth in nontraditional primary exports such as pineapples
and rubber, limited 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 26% in 1994, but the rate fell sharply in
1996-98. Moreover, government adherence to donor-mandated r