The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency (ebook reader 8 inch .txt) 📕

the region in attracting foreign investment and creating jobs, despite making extensive fiscal and business sector reforms. Official unemployment remains high at nearly 35%, but may be overstated based on the existence of an extensive gray market, estimated to be more than 20 percent of GDP, that is not captured by official statistics.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$17.35 billion note: Macedonia has a large informal sector (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$7.497 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

5.1% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$8,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 11.9% industry: 28.2% services: 59.9% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

890,000 (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 19.6% industry: 30.4% services: 50% (September 2007)

Unemployment rate:

34.9% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

29.8% (2006)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 29.6% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

39 (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):

17.7% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $2.508 billion expenditures: $2.487 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

30.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

2.3% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

6.5% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

10.23% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$1.173 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$3.127 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$2.924 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

grapes, wine, tobacco, vegetables, fruits; milk, eggs

Industries:

food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, iron, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals

Industrial production growth rate:

1.7% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

6.051 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - consumption:

8.651 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

2.6 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 83.7% hydro: 16.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007)

Oil - consumption:

19,590 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

6,768 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

26,470 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2008 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

100 million cu m (2006 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

102.8 million cu m (2007)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

Current account balance:

-$249 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$3.35 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

food, beverages, tobacco; textiles, miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel

Exports - partners:

Serbia and Montenegro 19.2%, Germany 14.5%, Greece 10.4%, Italy 10.1%, Bulgaria 9.8%, Croatia 5.6%, Belgium 5%, Spain 5% (2007)

Imports:

$4.977 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products

Imports - partners:

Germany 13.2%, Greece 12.9%, Bulgaria 9.6%, Serbia and Montenegro 7.7%, Turkey 6.6%, Italy 6.3%, Slovenia 5% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$230.3 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.265 billion (31 December 2007)

Debt - external:

$3.967 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$2.405 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$646 million (2005)

Currency (code):

Macedonian denar (MKD)

Currency code:

MKD

Exchange rates:

Macedonian denars (MKD) per US dollar - 44.732 (2007), 48.978 (2006), 48.92 (2005), 49.41 (2004), 54.322 (2003)

Communications
Macedonia

Telephones - main lines in use:

463,600 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

1.518 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: competition from the mobile-cellular segment of the telecommunications market has led to a drop in fixed-line telephone subscriptions domestic: combined fixed line and mobile telephone density approaching 100 per 100 persons international: country code - 389 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 29, FM 63, shortwave 0 (2007)

Radios:

410,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

52 (2007)

Televisions:

510,000 (1997)

Internet country code:

.mk

Internet hosts:

36,905 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

6 (2000)

Internet users:

685,000 (2007)

Transportation
Macedonia

Airports:

17 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 under 914 m: 8 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 699 km standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (223 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 13,182 km (includes 208 km of expressways) (2002)

Military
Macedonia

Military branches:

Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM): Joint Operational Command, with subordinate Air Wing (Makedonsko Voeno Vozduhoplovstvo, MVV), Special Operations Regiment (2007)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service (2007)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 532,856 females age 16-49: 513,684 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 444,693 females age 16-49: 428,341 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 15,141 female: 14,434 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues
Macedonia

Disputes - international:

Kosovo and Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in
September 2008; Greece continues to reject the use of the name
Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

Refugees and internally displaced persons:

IDPs: fewer than 1,000 (ethnic conflict in 2001) (2007)

Illicit drugs:

major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Madagascar

Introduction
Madagascar

Background:

Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896 but regained independence in 1960. During 1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were held ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. RAVALOMANANA is now in his second term following a landslide victory in the generally free and fair presidential elections of 2006.

Geography
Madagascar

Location:

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:

20 00 S, 47 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 587,040 sq km land: 581,540 sq km water: 5,500 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

4,828 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m isobath

Climate:

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Terrain:

narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m

Natural resources:

graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 5.03% permanent crops: 1.02% other: 93.95% (2005)

Irrigated land:

10,860 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

337 cu km (1984)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 14.96 cu km/yr (3%/2%/96%) per capita: 804 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation

Environment - current issues:

soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel

People
Madagascar

Population:

20,042,552 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 43.7% (male 4,408,615/female 4,349,862) 15-64 years: 53.2% (male 5,298,805/female 5,371,764) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 275,087/female 338,418) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 17.9 years male: 17.7 years female: 18.1 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.005% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

38.38 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 55.59 deaths/1,000 live births male: 60.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 50.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 62.52 years male: 60.58 years female: 64.51 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.19 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

140,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

7,500 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: chikungunya, malaria, and plague water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Malagasy (singular and plural) adjective: Malagasy

Ethnic groups:

Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed
African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka,
Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

Religions:

indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%

Languages:

English (official), French (official), Malagasy (official)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68.9% male: 75.5% female: 62.5% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 9 years male: 10 years female: 9 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

3.1% of GDP (2006)

Government
Madagascar

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar conventional short form: Madagascar local long form: Republique de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara local short form: Madagascar/Madagasikara former: Malagasy Republic

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Antananarivo geographic coordinates: 18 55 S, 47 31 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

Independence:

26 June 1960 (from France)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 26 June (1960)

Constitution:

19 August 1992 by national referendum

Legal system:

based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Charles RABEMANANJARA (25 January 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011); prime minister appointed by the president election results: percent of vote - Marc RAVALOMANANA 54.8%, Jean LAHINIRIKO 11.7%, Roland RATSIRAKA 10.1%, Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO 9.1%, Norbert RATSIRAHONANA 4.2%, Ny Hasina ANDRIAMANJATO 4.2%, Elia RAVELOMANANTSOA 2.6%, Pety RAKOTONIAINA 1.7%, other 1.6%

Legislative branch:

bicameral legislature consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (127 seats - reduced from 160 seats by an April 2007 national referendum; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and a Senate or Senat (100 seats; two-thirds of the seats filled by regional assemblies; the remaining one-third of seats appointed by the president;