The 1999 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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СКАЧАТЬ

      Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

      Executive branch:

       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 elected by popular vote for a five-year term;

       election last held 18 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2001)

       election results: Mathieu KEREKOU elected president; percent of

       vote—Mathieu KEREKOU 52.49%, Nicephore SOGLO 47.51%

      Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee

       Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to

       serve four-year terms)

       elections: last held 28 March 1995 (next to be held 28 March 1999)

       election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—PRB

       20, PRD 19, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, PCB 2, AC

       1, RDP 1, other 17

      Judicial branch: Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle,

       Supreme Court or Cour Supreme, High Court of Justice

      Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Civic Renewal or ARC

       Sylvain AKINDES]; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party or PSD and

       KINA]; Liberal Democrats' Rally for National Reconstruction-Vivoten

       note: as of December 1998, more than 110 political parties were

       officially recognized; among them are Benin Renaissance Party or

       PRB, Our Common Cause or NCC, Cameleon Alliance or AC, Rally for

       Democracy and Pan-Africanism or RDP

      International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA,

       ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,

       IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO

       (subscriber), ITU, MINURCA, MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN,

       UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,

       WToO, WTrO

      Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

      Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. FELDER embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou

      Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side

      Economy

      Economy—overview: The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged a sound 4% in 1990–95 and 5% in 1996–98. Rapid population growth has offset much of this growth in output. Inflation has subsided over the past three years. Commercial and transport activities, which make up a large part of GDP, are vulnerable to developments in Nigeria, particularly fuel shortages. Support by the Paris Club and official bilateral creditors has eased the external debt situation in recent years. The government, still burdened with money-losing state enterprises and a bloated civil service, has been gradually implementing a World Bank supported structural adjustment program since 1991.

      GDP: purchasing power parity—$7.6 billion (1998 est.)

      GDP—real growth rate: 4.4% (1998 est.)

      GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,300 (1998 est.)

      GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 34% industry: 14% services: 52% (1997)

      Population below poverty line: 33% (1995 est.)

      Household income or consumption by percentage share:

       lowest 10%: NA%

       highest 10%: NA%

      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.6% (1998 est.)

      Labor force: NA

      Unemployment rate: NA%

      Budget:

       revenues: $299 million

       expenditures: $445 million, including capital expenditures of $14

       million (1995 est.)

      Industries: textiles, cigarettes; beverages, food; construction

       materials, petroleum

      Industrial production growth rate: NA%

      Electricity—production: 6 million kWh (1996)

      Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)

      Electricity—consumption: 251 million kWh (1996)

      Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

      Electricity—imports: 245 million kWh (1996)

      Agriculture—products: corn, sorghum, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, rice, cotton, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, livestock

      Exports: $250 million (f.o.b., 1998)

      Exports—commodities: cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa

      Exports—partners: Brazil 18%, Portugal 11%, Morocco 10%, Libya 6%, France (1997)

      Imports: $314 million (f.o.b., 1998)

      Imports—commodities: foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum

       products, intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods

      Imports—partners: France 21%, UK 9%, Thailand 9%, Hong Kong 8%,

       China (1997)

      Debt—external: $1.6 billion (1996 est.)

      Economic aid—recipient: $281.2 million (1995)

      Currency: СКАЧАТЬ