Compare Congo, Republic of the (2003) - Madagascar (2008)

Compare Congo, Republic of the (2003) z Madagascar (2008)

	Congo, Republic of the (2003)	Madagascar (2008)

Administrative divisions	9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune; Bouenza, Brazzaville, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha	6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
Age structure	0-14 years: 38.4% (male 570,491; female 563,079) 15-64 years: 58% (male 844,655; female 868,851) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 44,166; female 63,016) (2003 est.)	0-14 years: 43.9% (male 4,297,985/female 4,243,369) 15-64 years: 53% (male 5,117,874/female 5,190,032) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 270,411/female 329,144) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products	coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products
Airports	31 (2002)	104 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2002)	total: 27 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 17 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 11 (2002)	total: 77 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 41 under 914 m: 34 (2007)
Area	total: 342,000 sq km land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km	total: 587,040 sq km land: 581,540 sq km water: 5,500 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Montana	slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Background	Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO, but ushered in a period of ethnically based unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers with significant potential for offshore development.	Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896, but regained its 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.
Birth rate	29.46 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	38.6 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $870 million expenditures: $970 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)	revenues: $1.22 billion expenditures: $1.555 billion (2007 est.)
Capital	Brazzaville	name: Antananarivo geographic coordinates: 18 55 S, 47 31 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator	tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Coastline	169 km	4,828 km
Constitution	constitution approved by referendum 20 January 2002	19 August 1992 by national referendum
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) local long form: Republique du Congo local short form: none former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo	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
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States	-
Death rate	14.2 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$5 billion (2000 est.)	$4.6 billion (2002)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Robin R. SANDERS embassy: NA mailing address: NA telephone: [243] (88) 43608 note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)	chief of mission: Ambassador R. Niels MARQUARDT embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo 101 mailing address: B. P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo telephone: [261] (20) 22-212-57, 22-212-73, 22-209-56 FAX: [261] (20) 22-345-39
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500 FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860	chief of mission: Ambassador Jocelyn Bertin RADIFERA chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526 FAX: [1] (202) 265-3034 consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international	most of the Congo River boundary with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Stanley Pool/Pool Malebo area)	claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France)
Economic aid - recipient	$159.1 million (1995)	$929.2 million (2005)
Economy - overview	The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a shortage of revenues. The 12 January 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994, but inflation has subsided since. Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. However, economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. The current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic problems of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty.	Having discarded past socialist economic policies, Madagascar has since the mid 1990s followed a World Bank- and IMF-led policy of privatization and liberalization. This strategy placed the country on a slow and steady growth path from an extremely low level. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-fourth of GDP and employing 80% of the population. Exports of apparel have boomed in recent years primarily due to duty-free access to the US. Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by the use of firewood as the primary source of fuel, are serious concerns. President RAVALOMANANA has worked aggressively to revive the economy following the 2002 political crisis, which triggered a 12% drop in GDP that year. Poverty reduction and combating corruption will be the centerpieces of economic policy for the next few years.
Electricity - consumption	633 million kWh (2001)	973.2 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	300 million kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	358.1 million kWh (2001)	1.046 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 0.3% hydro: 99.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m
Environment - current issues	air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation	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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea	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
Ethnic groups	Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% note: Europeans estimated at 8,500, mostly French, before the 1997 civil war; may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997	Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran
Exchange rates	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 697 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7 (1999), 589.95 (1998)	Malagasy ariary per US dollar - 1,880 (2007), 2,161.4 (2006), 2,003 (2005), 1,868.9 (2004), 1,238.3 (2003)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); 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 seven-year term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%	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%
Exports	NA (2001)	363.9 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds	coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products
Exports - partners	Taiwan 28.1%, South Korea 20.4%, China 9.3%, US 8.4%, Germany 6.6%, France 5.2% (2002)	France 32.1%, US 25.3%, Germany 6.1%, Italy 5%, UK 4.1% (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia	two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side
GDP	purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 10% industry: 48% services: 42% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 27.3% industry: 15.8% services: 56.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $900 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	0% (2002 est.)	6.3% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates	1 00 S, 15 00 E	20 00 S, 47 00 E
Geography - note	about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them	world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
Highways	total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1999 est.)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 36.6% (2001)
Illicit drugs	-	illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin
Imports	NA (2001)	17,830 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs	capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food
Imports - partners	France 22.1%, Italy 8.5%, Belgium 6%, US 5.2%, India 4.1% (2002)	France 14.5%, China 12%, Iran 9.3%, Mauritius 5.6%, Hong Kong 4.7% (2006)
Independence	15 August 1960 (from France)	26 June 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	0% (2002 est.)	6% (2007 est.)
Industries	petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes	meat processing, seafood, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 95.34 deaths/1,000 live births male: 101.45 deaths/1,000 live births female: 89.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	total: 57.02 deaths/1,000 live births male: 62.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 51.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	4% (2002 est.)	10% (2007 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	10 sq km (1998 est.)	10,860 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle
Labor force	NA	7.3 million (2000)
Land boundaries	total: 5,504 km border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.5% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 99.37% (1998 est.)	arable land: 5.03% permanent crops: 1.02% other: 93.95% (2005)
Languages	French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users)	English (official), French (official), Malagasy (official)
Legal system	based on French civil law system and customary law	based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held NA July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next to be held by NA May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45	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; to serve four-year terms) elections: National Assembly - last held 23 September 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - TIM 106, LEADER/Fanilo 1, independents 20
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 50.02 years male: 49.04 years female: 51.02 years (2003 est.)	total population: 62.14 years male: 60.23 years female: 64.1 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.8% male: 89.6% female: 78.4% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68.9% male: 75.5% female: 62.5% (2003 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon	Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
Map references	Africa	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 NM	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 deep isobath
Merchant marine	-	total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 13,896 GRT/18,466 DWT by type: cargo 5, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 2 (2007)
Military branches	Army, Air Force, Navy, Gendarmerie, National Police	People's Armed Forces: Intervention Force, Development Force, and Aeronaval Force (navy and air); National Gendarmerie
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$84 million (FY01)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.8% (FY01)	1% (2006)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 754,814 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 381,556 (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - military age	20 years of age (2003 est.)	-
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 31,644 (2003 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 15 August (1960)	Independence Day, 26 June (1960)
Nationality	noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo	noun: Malagasy (singular and plural) adjective: Malagasy
Natural hazards	seasonal flooding	periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation
Natural resources	petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower	graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	gas 53 km; oil 673 km (2003)	-
Political parties and leaders	the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal) [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]	Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA [Pierrot RAJAONARIVELO]; Democratic Party for Union in Madagascar or PSDUM [Jean LAHINIRIKO]; Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National Recovery or LEADER/Fanilo [Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO]; Fihaonana Party or FP [Guy-Willy RAZANAMASY]; I Love Madagascar or TIM [Marc RAVALOMANANA]; Renewal of the Social Democratic Party or RPSD [Evariste MARSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders	Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC	Committee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR; Committee for National Reconciliation or CRN [Albert Zafy]; National Council of Christian Churches or FFKM
Population	2,954,258 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)	19,448,815 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	50% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate	1.53% (2003 est.)	3.008% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)	AM 2 (plus a number of repeater stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001)
Railways	total: 894 km narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2002)	total: 854 km narrow gauge: 854 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)
Religions	Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%	indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.986 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.822 male(s)/female total population: 0.992 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	general assessment: system is above average for the region; Antananarivo's main telephone exchange modernized, but the rest of the analogue-based telephone system is poorly developed; planning to add 50,000 new private-subscriber fixed lines beginning in 2005 domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile telephone density only about 7 per 100 persons international: country code - 261; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use	22,000 (1998)	129,800 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	3,300 (1998)	1.046 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2002)	1 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001)
Terrain	coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin	narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Total fertility rate	3.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)	5.24 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	-
Waterways	1,120 km note: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only	600 km (2006)

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