FAX: 822-2991

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

Senegal 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 1995-99. Annual inflation has been pushed down to 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, juvenile delinquency, and drug addiction. Real GDP growth is expected to rise above 6%, while inflation is likely to hold at 2% in 2001-02.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $16 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.7% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 19%

industry: 20%

services: 61% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.4%

highest 10%: 42.8% (1991)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (2000 est.)

Labor force: NA

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 60%

Unemployment rate: NA%; urban youth 40%

Budget: revenues: $885 million

expenditures: $885 million, including capital expenditures of $125 million (1996 est.)

Industries: agricultural and fish processing, phosphate mining, fertilizer production, petroleum refining, construction materials

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1998 est.)

Electricity - production: 1.27 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100%

hydro: 0%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 1.181 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: peanuts, millet, corn, sorghum, rice, cotton, tomatoes, green vegetables; cattle, poultry, pigs; fish

Exports: $959 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: fish, ground nuts (peanuts), petroleum products, phosphates, cotton

Exports - partners: France 17%, India 17%, Italy 12%, Spain 6%, Mali 6%, Cote d'Ivoire 4% (1999)

Imports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities: foods and beverages, consumer goods, capital goods, petroleum products

Imports - partners: France 30%, Nigeria 7%, Italy 6%, Thailand 5%,
Germany 4%, US 4% (1999)

Debt - external: $4.1 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $647.5 million (1995)

Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code: XOF

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1966); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro

Fiscal year: calendar year

Senegal Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 116,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,149 (1996)

Telephone system: general assessment: good system

domestic: above-average urban system; microwave radio relay, coaxial cable and fiber-optic cable in trunk system

international: 4 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 14, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 1.24 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (1997)

Televisions: 361,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .sn

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: 30,000 (2000)

Senegal Transportation

Railways: total: 906 km

narrow gauge: 906 km 1.000-meter gauge (70 km double track)

Highways: total: 14,576 km

paved: 4,271 km

unpaved: 10,305 km (1996)

Waterways: 897 km

note: 785 km on the Senegal river, and 112 km on the Saloum river

Ports and harbors: Dakar, Kaolack, Matam, Podor, Richard Toll,
Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor

Airports: 20 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 10

over 3,047 m: 1

1,524 to 2,437 m: 7

914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 10

1,524 to 2,437 m: 5

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Senegal Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie,
National Police (Surete Nationale)

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 2,311,063 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,207,360 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 114,189 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $68 million (FY97)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY97)

Senegal Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin moving to Europe and North America; illicit cultivator of cannabis

@Seychelles

Seychelles Introduction

Background: A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993.

Seychelles Geography

Location: Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates: 4 35 S, 55 40 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 455 sq km

land: 455 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 491 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM

continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)

Terrain: Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m

highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m

Natural resources: fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Land use: arable land: 2%

permanent crops: 13%

permanent pastures: 0%

forests and woodland: 11%

other: 74% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible

Environment - current issues: water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note: 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

Seychelles People

Population: 79,715 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.27% (male 11,367; female 11,167)

15-64 years: 65.47% (male 25,453; female 26,737)

65 years and over: 6.26% (male 1,673; female 3,318) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.49% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 17.66 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 6.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female

total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.69 years

male: 65.17 years

female: 76.37 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.83 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Seychellois (singular and plural)

adjective: Seychelles

Ethnic groups: Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2%

Languages: English (official), French (official), Creole

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 58%

male: 56%

female: 60% (1971 est.)

Seychelles Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles

conventional short form: Seychelles

Government type: republic

Capital: Victoria

Administrative divisions: 23 administrative districts; Anse aux
Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie
Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade,
Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue,
La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La
Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka

Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)

National holiday: Constitution Day, 18 June (1993)

Constitution: 18 June 1993

Legal system: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003)

election results: France Albert RENE reelected president; percent of vote - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 66.7%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO) 19.5%, Sir James MANCHAM (DP) 13.8%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats - 25 elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least ten percent of the vote; members serve five-year terms)

elections: last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003)

election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 61.7%, UO 26.1%, DP 12.1%; seats by party - SPPF 30, UO 3, DP 1

note: the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to the share of each party in the total vote

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party or DP [James
MANCHAM]; Seychelles National Party or SNP (formerly the United
Opposition or UO) [Wavel RAMKALAWAN]; Seychelles People's
Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE] - the governing party

Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church; trade unions

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC,
ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, InOC, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM,
OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Claude Sylvestre MOREL

chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017

telephone: (212) 972-1785