Alle Länder der Welt Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in
the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence
on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin . A succession of military governments ended in
1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based
on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two
years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president,
marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a
democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some
irregularities were alleged..
Geographie : Benin
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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering
the Bight of Benin , between Nigeria and Togo |
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Geographic coordinates:
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9 30 N, 2 15 E |
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Area:
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total: 112,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km
land: 110,620 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than
Pennsylvania |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,989 km
border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773
km, Togo 644 km |
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Coastline:
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121 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 200
NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid in
south; semiarid in north |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat to undulating
plain; some hills and low mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m |
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Natural resources:
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small offshore oil
deposits, limestone, marble, timber |
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Land use:
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arable land: 15.28%
permanent crops: 1.36%
other: 83.36% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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120 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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hot, dry, dusty harmattan
wind may affect north from December to March |
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Environment - current issues:
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inadequate supplies of
potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation;
desertification |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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sandbanks create difficult
access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
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Bevölkerung : Benin
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Population:
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7,250,033
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess
mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality
and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 46.8% (male 1,711,075;
female 1,679,439)
15-64 years: 51% (male 1,802,990; female 1,890,915)
65 years and over: 2.3% (male 68,890; female 96,724) (2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 16.5 years
male: 16 years
female: 16.9 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.89% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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42.57 births/1,000 |
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Death rate:
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13.69 deaths/1,000 |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 85.88 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 80.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 90.89 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 50.81 years
male: 50.25 years
female: 51.39 years (2004 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.95 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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3.6% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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120,000 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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8,100 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Beninese (singular and plural)
adjective: Beninese |
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Ethnic groups:
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African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most
important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500 |
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Religions:
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indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%,
Muslim 20% |
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Languages:
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French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most
common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 40.9%
male: 56.2%
female: 26.5% (2000)
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Regierung
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of
Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local short form: Benin
former: Dahomey
local long form: Republique du Benin |
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Government type:
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republic under multiparty democratic rule;
dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990;
transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991 |
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Capital:
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Porto -Novo is the official capital; Cotonou
is the seat of government |
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Administrative divisions:
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12 departments; Alibori, Atakora,
Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou |
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Independence:
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1 August 1960 (from Frankreich ) |
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National holiday:
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National Day, 1 August (1960) |
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Constitution:
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December 1990 |
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Legal system:
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based on French civil law and customary
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Mathieu
KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term; runoff
election held 22 March 2001 (next to be held NA March 2006)
note: the four top-ranking contenders following the first-round presidential
elections were: Mathieu KEREKOU (incumbent) 45.4%, Nicephore SOGOLO (former president)
27.1%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and Bruno AMOUSSOU (Minister
of State) 8.6%; the second-round balloting, originally scheduled for 18 March 2001, was
postponed four days because both SOGOLO and HOUNGBEDJI withdrew alleging electoral fraud;
this left KEREKOU to run against his own Minister of State, AMOUSSOU, in what was termed a
"friendly match"
election results: Mathieu KEREKOU reelected president; percent of vote - Mathieu
KEREKOU 84.1%, Bruno AMOUSSOU 15.9% |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Presidential
Movement 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31
elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2007) |
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Judicial branch:
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Constitutional Court or Cour
Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice |
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Political parties and leaders:
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African Congress for Renewal or DUNYA [Saka
SALEY]; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance
of the Social Democratic Party or PSD [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Coalition of Democratic Forces
[Gatien HOUNGBEDJI]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for
Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Jerome Sakia KINA]; Impulse for Progress and
Democracy or IPD [Bertin BORNA]; Key Force or FC [leader NA]; Presidential Movement (UBF,
MADEP, FC, IDP, and 4 other small parties); Renaissance Party du Benin or PRB [Nicephore
SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or
UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU]
note: approximately 20 additional minor parties |
Economy
The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence
agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has
averaged a stable 5% in the past six years, but rapid population rise has
offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several
years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more
foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development
of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new
information and communication technology. The 2001 privatization policy should
continue in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite
of initial government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have
eased the external debt situation, while pressing for speeded-up structural
reforms.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $7.742 billion
(2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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5.5% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2003
est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 38%
industry: 15%
services: 47% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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37% (2001 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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3.3% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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NA (1996) |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% (October 2000) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $377.4 million
expenditures: $561.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001) |
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Industries:
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textiles, food processing, chemical
production, construction materials (2001) |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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8.3% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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274.3 million kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 14.2%
hydro: 85.8%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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631.1 million kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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376 million kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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700 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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11,500 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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4.105 million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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608.8 million cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams,
beans, palm oil, peanuts, livestock (2001) |
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Exports:
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$485 million f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa |
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Exports - partners:
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Indien 27.3%, Italien 12.1%, Indonesien 8.1%,
China 7.6%, Thailand 7.1%, UK 5.1%, Niger 4.5% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$726 million f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum
products |
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Imports - partners:
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China 30%, Frankreich 15.3%, UK 4.7%, Italy
4.1% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$1.6 billion (2000) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$342.6 million (2000) |
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Currency:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
(XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States |
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Currency code:
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XOF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs
(XOF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7
(1999) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
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