French Guiana (2002) | Madagascar (2002) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (overseas department of France) | 6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 30.2% (male 28,140; female 26,876)
15-64 years: 64.2% (male 63,183; female 53,902) 65 years and over: 5.6% (male 5,192; female 5,040) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 45% (male 3,713,700; female 3,696,478)
15-64 years: 51.8% (male 4,227,931; female 4,313,940) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 241,699; female 279,729) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | corn, rice, manioc (tapioca), sugar, cocoa, vegetables, bananas; cattle, pigs, poultry | coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products |
Airports | 11 (2001) | 130 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 29
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 5 (2002) |
total: 92
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 46 under 914 m: 44 (2002) |
Area | total: 91,000 sq km
land: 89,150 sq km water: 1,850 sq km |
total: 587,040 sq km
land: 581,540 sq km water: 5,500 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Indiana | slightly less than twice the size of Arizona |
Background | First settled by the French in 1604, French Guiana was the site of notorious penal settlements until 1951. The European Space Agency launches its communication satellites from Kourou. | Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1886, 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. |
Birth rate | 21.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 42.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $225 million
expenditures: $390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996) (1996) |
revenues: $553 million
expenditures: $735 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | Cayenne | Antananarivo |
Climate | tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation | tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south |
Coastline | 378 km | 4,828 km |
Constitution | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) | 19 August 1992 by national referendum |
Country name | conventional long form: Department of Guiana
conventional short form: French Guiana local long form: none local short form: Guyane |
conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar
conventional short form: Madagascar local long form: Republique de Madagascar local short form: Madagascar former: Malagasy Republic |
Currency | euro (EUR); French franc (FRF) | Malagasy franc (MGF) |
Death rate | 4.78 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 12.15 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.2 billion (1988) (1988) | $4.5 billion (2000) |
Dependency status | overseas department of France | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas department of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador Wanda L. NESBITT
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 | none (overseas department of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador Zina ANDRIANARIVELO-RAZAFY
chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526 FAX: [1] (202) 483-7603 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | Suriname claims area between Riviere Litani and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa) | claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island (all administered by France) |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $838 million (1997) (1997) |
Economy - overview | The economy is tied closely to the French economy through subsidies and imports. Besides the French space center at Kourou, fishing and forestry are the most important economic activities. Forest and woodland cover 90% of the country. The large reserves of tropical hardwoods, not fully exploited, support an expanding sawmill industry that provides sawn logs for export. Cultivation of crops is limited to the coastal area, where the population is largely concentrated; rice and manioc are the major crops. French Guiana is heavily dependent on imports of food and energy. Unemployment is a serious problem, particularly among younger workers. | Madagascar faces problems of chronic malnutrition, underfunded health and education facilities, a roughly 3% annual population growth rate, and severe loss of forest cover, accompanied by erosion. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the mainstay of the economy, accounting for one-third of GDP and contributing more than 70% to export earnings. Industry features textile manufacturing and the processing of agricultural products. Growth in output in 1992-97 averaged less than the growth rate of the population. Growth has been held back by antigovernment strikes and demonstrations, a decline in world coffee prices, and the erratic commitment of the government to economic reform. The extent of government reforms, outside financial aid, and foreign investment will be key determinants of future growth. |
Electricity - consumption | 418.5 million kWh (2000) | 762.6 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 450 million kWh (2000) | 820 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel: 37%
hydro: 63% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bellevue de l'Inini 851 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several species of flora and fauna unique to the island are endangered |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | black or mulatto 66%, white 12%, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian 12%, other 10% | Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran |
Exchange rates | Euros per US dollar - 1.1324 (January 2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997) | Malagasy francs per US dollar - 6,531.4 (December 2001), 6,588.5 (2001), 6,767.5 (2000), 6,283.8 (1999), 5,441.4 (1998), 5,090.9 (1997) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Ange MANCINI (since 31 July 2002)
head of government: President of the General Council Joseph HO-TEN-YOU (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Antoine KARAM (since 22 March 1992) cabinet: NA elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; presidents of the General and Regional Councils are appointed by the members of those councils |
chief of state: President Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Jacques SYLLA (27 May 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 16 December 2001 (next to be held NA November 2006); prime minister appointed by the president from a list of candidates nominated by the National Assembly election results: percent of vote - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 40.89%, Marc RAVALOMANANA 46.21%; note - on 29 April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner by 51.5% after a recount; RATSIRIKA's prime minister was put under house arrest on 27 May 2002, and SYLLA was appointed the new prime minister by President RAVALOMANANA |
Exports | $155 million f.o.b. (1997) | $680 million f.o.b. (2000) |
Exports - commodities | shrimp, timber, gold, rum, rosewood essence, clothing | coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar; cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products |
Exports - partners | France 62%, Switzerland 7%, US 2% (1997) | France 41%, US 21%, Germany 7%, Japan 4%, UK 1% (2000) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | 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 - $1 billion (1998 est.) | purchasing power parity - $14 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 34%
industry: 11% services: 55% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $6,000 (1998 est.) | purchasing power parity - $870 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 5% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 4 00 N, 53 00 W | 20 00 S, 47 00 E |
Geography - note | mostly an unsettled wilderness; the only non-independent portion of the South American continent | world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel |
Highways | total: 1,817 km
paved: 817 km unpaved: 1,000 km (1998) |
total: 49,837 km
paved: 5,781 km unpaved: 44,056 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 37% (1997) |
Illicit drugs | small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe | illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin |
Imports | $625 million c.i.f. (1997) | $919 million f.o.b. (2000) |
Imports - commodities | food (grains, processed meat), machinery and transport equipment, fuels and chemicals | intermediate manufactures, capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food |
Imports - partners | France 52%, US 14%, Trinidad and Tobago 6% (1997) | France 38%, Hong Kong 10%, China 5%, Singapore 5%, Japan 3% |
Independence | none (overseas department of France) | 26 June 1960 (from France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 3% (2000 est.) |
Industries | construction, shrimp processing, forestry products, rum, gold mining | meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 13.22 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 81.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (1992) (1992) | 7% (2001 est.) |
International organization participation | FZ, WCL, WFTU | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 20 sq km (1998 est.) | 10,900 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeals or Cour d'Appel (highest local court based in Martinique with jurisdiction over Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana) | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle |
Labor force | 58,800 (1997) (1997) | 7 million (1999) (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | services, government, and commerce 61%, industry 21%, agriculture 18% (1980) | - |
Land boundaries | total: 1,183 km
border countries: Brazil 673 km, Suriname 510 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.11% NEGL
permanent crops: 0.03% other: 99.86% (90% forest, 10% other) (1998 est.) |
arable land: 4.41%
permanent crops: 0.93% other: 94.66% (1998 est.) |
Languages | French | French (official), Malagasy (official) |
Legal system | French legal system | based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral General Council or Conseil General (19 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and a unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (31 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
elections: General Council - last held NA March 2000 (next to be held NA 2006); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PSG 5, various left-wing parties 5, independents 7, other 2; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - PS 28.28%, various left parties 22.56%, RPR 15.91%, independents 8.6%, Walwari Committee 6%; seats by party - PS 11, various left parties 9, RPR 6, independents 3, Walwari Committee 2 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; 2 seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, Walwari Committee 1 |
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (160 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - the legislature is scheduled to become a bicameral Parliament with the establishment of a Senate; two-thirds of the seats of this Senate will be filled by regional assemblies whose members will be elected by popular vote; the remaining one-third of the seats will be appointed by the president; the total number of seats will be determined by the National Assembly; all members will serve four-year terms
elections: National Assembly - last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - TIM 103, FP 22, AREMA 3, LEADER/Fanilo 2, RPSD 5, TTS 2, HBM 1, independents 22 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.49 years
male: 73.16 years female: 79.99 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 55.74 years
male: 53.45 years female: 58.11 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83% male: 84% female: 82% (1982 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 80% male: 88% female: 73% (1990 est.) |
Location | Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique |
Map references | South America | Africa |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or 100 NM from the 2,500-m deep isobath exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,199 GRT/37,462 DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces, Gendarmerie | People's Armed Forces (comprising Intervention Force, Development Force, Aeronaval [Navy and Air] Force), Gendarmerie, Presidential Security Regiment |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | $48.7 million (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 1.2% (FY01) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 50,504 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 3,758,940 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 32,720 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49: 2,229,304 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 20 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 153,856 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Independence Day, 26 June (1960) |
Nationality | noun: French Guianese (singular and plural)
adjective: French Guianese |
noun: Malagasy (singular and plural)
adjective: Malagasy |
Natural hazards | high frequency of heavy showers and severe thunderstorms; flooding | periodic cyclones |
Natural resources | bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish | graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 8.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Guyanese Democratic Action or ADG [Andre LECANTE]; Guyanese Socialist Party or PSG [Marie-Claude VERDAN]; Guyana Democratic Forces or FDG [Georges OTHILY]; Popular National Guyanese Party or PNPG [Jose DORCY]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Roland HO-WEN-SZE]; Socialist Party or PS [Pierre RIBARDIERE]; Walwari Committee [Christine TAUBIRA-DELANON] | Action, Truth, Development, and Harmony or AFFA [Professor Albert ZAFY]; Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA [leader vacant]; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence or AKFM/Fanavaozana [leader NA]; Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National Recovery or LEADER/Fanilo [Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO]; Fihaonana Rally or Fihaonana [Guy RAZANAMASY]; Group of Reflection and Action for the Development of Madagascar or GRAD/Iloafo; Judged by Your Work or AVI [Norbert RATSIRAHONANA]; Movement for the Progress of Madagascar or MFM [Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA]; Renewal of the Social Democratic Party or RPSD [Evariste MARSON]; Tranobe (Big House) [Ny Hasina ANDRIAMANJATO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Federalist Movement; National Council of Christian Churches or FFKM |
Population | 182,333 (July 2002 est.) | 16,473,477 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 70% (1994 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.57% (2002 est.) | 3.03% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Cayenne, Degrad des Cannes, Saint-Laurent du Maroni | Antsiranana, Antsohimbondrona, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 14 (including 6 repeaters), shortwave 6 (including 5 repeaters) (1998) | AM 2 (plus a number of repeater stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001) |
Radios | 104,000 (1997) | 3.05 million (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | total: 893 km
narrow gauge: 893 km 1.000-m gauge (2001) |
Religions | Roman Catholic | indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.13 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: fair open wire and microwave radio relay system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: system is above average for the region
domestic: open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter links connect regions international: submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 47,000 (1997) | 55,000 (2000) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 63,100 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (plus eight low-power repeaters) (1997) | 1 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001) |
Terrain | low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains | narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center |
Total fertility rate | 3.13 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 5.77 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 21.4% (1998) (1998) | NA% |
Waterways | 3,300 km navigable by native craft
note: 460 km navigable by small oceangoing vessels and coastal and river steamers |
note: of local importance only |