ewal Party or PRD ; Front
for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA; Impulse for Progress and
Democracy or IPD ; Liberal Democrats' Rally for National
Reconstruction-Vivoten or RDL-Vivoten ; Movement for
Citizens' Commitment and Awakening or MERCI ; New
Generation for the Republic or NG ; Our Common Cause or NCC
; Rally for Democracy and Pan-Africanism or
RDP ; The Star
Alliance (Alliance E'toile) ; Union for National Democracy
and Solidarity or UDS

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA,
ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WADB (regional), 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
telephone: (202) 232-6656
FAX: (202) 265-1996

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. FELDER
embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou
mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou
telephone: 30-06-50, 30-05-13, 30-17-92
FAX: 30-14-39, 30-19-74

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

@Benin: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 1996-99. 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.
The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have 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 structural adjustment program since 1991.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.1 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,300 (1999 est.)

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

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

Household income or consump