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

Economic aid—recipient: $281.2 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1—566.36 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones: 38,354 (6,286 cellular telephone subscribers) (1998
est.)

Telephone system:
domestic: fair system of open wire, microwave radio relay, and
cellular connections
international: satellite earth station—1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean);
submarine cable

Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998 est.)

Radios: 400,000 (1998 est.)