Jersey (2007) | Madagascar (2004) | |
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Administrative divisions | none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 12 parishes including Grouville, Saint Brelade, Saint Clement, Saint Helier, Saint John, Saint Lawrence, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Saint Quen, Saint Peter, Saint Saviour, and Trinity | 6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 16.9% (male 8,003/female 7,428)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 30,586/female 30,853) 65 years and over: 15.8% (male 6,388/female 8,063) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 44.9% (male 3,935,523; female 3,922,077)
15-64 years: 52% (male 4,509,877; female 4,596,662) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 245,168; female 292,564) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products | coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 116 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
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 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 87
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 43 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 116 sq km
land: 116 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 587,040 sq km
land: 581,540 sq km water: 5,500 sq km |
Area - comparative | about two-thirds the size of Washington, DC | slightly less than twice the size of Arizona |
Background | Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in both France and England. These islands were the only British soil occupied by German troops in World War II. Jersey is a British crown dependency, but is not part of the UK. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defense and international representation. | 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. |
Birth rate | 9.02 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 41.91 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $829 million
expenditures: $851 million (2005) |
revenues: $739.6 million
expenditures: $1.071 billion, including capital expenditures of $331 million (2003) |
Capital | name: Saint Helier
geographic coordinates: 49 11 N, 2 06 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Antananarivo |
Climate | temperate; mild winters and cool summers | tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south |
Coastline | 70 km | 4,828 km |
Constitution | unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice | 19 August 1992 by national referendum |
Country name | conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey |
conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar
conventional short form: Madagascar local long form: Republique de Madagascar local short form: Madagascar former: Malagasy Republic |
Currency | - | Malagasy franc (MGF) |
Death rate | 9.32 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 11.62 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $4.6 billion (2002) |
Dependency status | British crown dependency | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (British crown dependency) | 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 (British crown dependency) | chief of mission: Ambassador Rajaonarivony NARISOA
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 | none | claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France) |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $354 million (2001) |
Economy - overview | Jersey's economy is based on international financial services, agriculture, and tourism. In 2005 the finance sector accounted for about 50% of the island's output. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. Tourism accounts for one-quarter of GDP. In recent years, the government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax haven. Living standards come close to those of the UK. | 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 has 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 four-fifths of the population. Exports of apparel have boomed in recent years primarily due to duty-free access to the United States. 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 | 630.1 million kWh (2004 est.) | 772.1 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | - | 830.2 million kWh (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 143 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Jersey 51.1%, Britons 34.8%, Irish, French, and other white 6.6%, Portuguese/Madeiran 6.4%, other 1.1% (2001 census) | Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran |
Exchange rates | Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.5418 (2006), 0.5493 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002)
note: the Jersey pound is at par with the British pound |
Malagasy francs per US dollar - 6,210 (2003), 6,831.96 (2002), 6,588.49 (2001), 6,767.48 (2000), 6,283.77 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Andrew RIDGEWAY (since 14 June 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Frank WALKER (since December 2005); Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since February 1995) cabinet: Cabinet (since December 2005) elections: ministers of the Cabinet including the chief minister are elected by the Assembly of States; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch |
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 election results: percent of vote - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 37.7%, Marc RAVALOMANANA (TIM) 50.5% |
Exports | $NA | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles | coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar; cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products |
Exports - partners | UK (2006) | France 37.4%, US 29.2%, Germany 5.5%, Mauritius 5.2% (2003) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield with the three lions of England in yellow | 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 - $13.02 billion (2003 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 2% services: 97% (2005) |
agriculture: 34.5%
industry: 7.8% services: 57.7% (2003 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $800 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 6% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 49 15 N, 2 10 W | 20 00 S, 47 00 E |
Geography - note | largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population concentrated in Saint Helier | world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel |
Highways | - | total: 49,827 km
paved: 5,780 km unpaved: 44,047 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 29% (1999) |
Illicit drugs | - | illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin |
Imports | $NA | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs, mineral fuels, chemicals | capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food |
Imports - partners | UK (2006) | China 14.2%, France 13.2%, South Africa 6.4%, Iran 6.2% (2003) |
Independence | none (British crown dependency) | 26 June 1960 (from France) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 3% (2000 est.) |
Industries | tourism, banking and finance, dairy, electronics | meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 78.52 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 86.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 69.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.7% (December 2006) | 8% (2003 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Irrigated land | NA | 10,900 sq km (2000 est.) |
Judicial branch | Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff) | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle |
Labor force | 53,560 (June 2006) | 7.3 million (2000) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
arable land: 5.07%
permanent crops: 1.03% other: 93.91% (2001) |
Languages | English 94.5% (official), Portuguese 4.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census) | French (official), Malagasy (official) |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and local statutes; justice is administered by the Royal Court | based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Assembly of the States of Jersey (58 seats; 55 are voting members, of which 12 are senators elected for six-year terms, 12 are constables or heads of parishes elected for three-year terms, 29 are deputies elected for three-year terms, the bailiff and the deputy bailiff, and 3 non-voting members includes the Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held 19 October 2005 for senators and 23 November 2005 for deputies (next to be held in 2008) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 55 |
bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (160 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); Senate (100 seats; two-thirds of the seats filled by regional assemblies whose members will be elected by popular vote; the remaining one-third of the seats appointed by the president; 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, others 3, independents 22 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.51 years
male: 77.02 years female: 82.2 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 56.54 years
male: 54.19 years female: 58.96 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68.9% male: 75.5% female: 62.5% (2003 est.) |
Location | Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique |
Map references | Europe | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 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: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 14,865 GRT/17,936 DWT
by type: cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the UK | - |
Military branches | - | People's Armed Forces: comprising Intervention Force, Development Force, and Aeronaval - Navy and Air - Force; National Gendarmerie |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $69.8 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.2% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 4,004,242 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 2,373,342 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 169,186 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) | Independence Day, 26 June (1960) |
Nationality | noun: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander |
noun: Malagasy (singular and plural)
adjective: Malagasy |
Natural hazards | NA | periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation |
Natural resources | arable land | graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 2.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | two declared parties: Centre Party; Jersey Democratic Alliance
note: all senators and deputies elected in 2005 were independents |
Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA [Pierrot RAJAONARIVO]; 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 | none | 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 | 91,321 (July 2007 est.) | 17,501,871 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 71% (1999 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.244% (2007 est.) | 3.03% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Antsiranana, Antsohimbondrona, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara |
Radio broadcast stations | AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 2 (plus a number of repeater stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001) |
Railways | - | total: 732 km
narrow gauge: 732 km 1.000-m gauge (2003) |
Religions | Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church, Methodist, Presbyterian | indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.077 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.991 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.792 male(s)/female total population: 0.971 male(s)/female (2007 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: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: submarine cable connectivity to Guernsey and UK |
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: country code - 261; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 73,900 (2001) | 59,600 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 83,900 (2004) | 279,500 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | 1 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001) |
Terrain | gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast | narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center |
Total fertility rate | 1.58 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 5.7 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.2% (2006 est.) | 5.9% (1998) |
Waterways | - | 600 km (2004) |