Imports: total value: $256 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.) commodities: crude oil, machinery and equipment, agricultural products, chemicals, iron and steel products partners: Germany 17%, Italy 10%, US 9%, Belgium-Luxembourg 8%, UK 8%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 3%, China 2% (1997 est.)
Debt-external: $117.6 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid: donor: ODA, $7.915 billion (1993)
Currency: 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1-6.0836 (January 1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 35 million (1987 est.)
Telephone system: highly developed domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive introduction of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system international: satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas-2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries
Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM 800 (mostly repeaters), shortwave 0