FAX: (91) 117-103

FAX: (202) 337-3093

consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Michael M. EINIK

embassy: Bul. Ilinden bb, 91000 Skopje

mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch)

telephone: (91) 116-180

Flag description: a rising yellow sun with eight rays extending to the edges of the red field

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Economy

Economy - overview: At independence in November 1991, Macedonia was the least developed of the Yugoslav republics, producing a mere 5% of the total federal output of goods and services. The collapse of Yugoslavia ended transfer payments from the center and eliminated advantages from inclusion in a de facto free trade area. An absence of infrastructure, UN sanctions on its largest market Yugoslavia, and a Greek economic embargo hindered economic growth until 1996. GDP has subsequently increased each year, rising by 5% in 2000. Successful privatization in 2000 boosted the country's reserves to over $700 million. Also, the leadership demonstrated a continuing commitment to economic reform, free trade, and regional integration. Inflation jumped to 11% in 2000, largely due to higher oil prices.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $9 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $4,400 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12%

industry: 25%

services: 63% (2000)

Population below poverty line: 25% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%

highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 1 million (1999 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services
NA%

Unemployment rate: 32% (2000)

Budget: revenues: $1.06 billion

expenditures: $1 billion, including capital expenditures of $107 million (1996 est.)

Industries: coal, metallic chromium, lead, zinc, ferronickel, textiles, wood products, tobacco

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2000)

Electricity - production: 6.395 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 82.25%

hydro: 17.75%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 5.992 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 30 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 75 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: rice, tobacco, wheat, corn, millet, cotton, sesame, mulberry leaves, citrus, vegetables; beef, pork, poultry, mutton

Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: food, beverages, tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel

Exports - partners: Germany 22%, Yugoslavia 22%, US 12%, Greece 7%,
Italy 6% (2000)

Imports: $2 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; food products

Imports - partners: Germany 13%, Ukraine 13%, Russia 10%, Yugoslavia 8%, Greece 8% (2000)

Debt - external: $1.4 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient: $100 million from the EU (2000)

Currency: Macedonian denar (MKD)

Currency code: MKD

Exchange rates: Macedonian denars per US dollar - 64.757 (January 2001), 65.904 (2000), 56.902 (1999), 54.462 (1998), 50.004 (1997), 39.981 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Communications Top of
Page

Telephones - main lines in use: 408,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 12,362 (1997)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM 29, FM 20, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 410,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 31 (plus 166 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions: 510,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .mk

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000)

Internet users: 30,000 (2000)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Transportation Top of
Page

Railways: total: 699 km

standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified)

note: a 56-km extension of the Kumanovo-Beljakovci line to the Bulgarian border at Gyveshevo is under construction (2001)

Highways: total: 8,684 km

paved: 5,540 km (including 133 km of expressways)

unpaved: 3,144 km (1997)

Waterways: note: lake transport only, on the Greek and Albanian borders

Pipelines: 10 km

Ports and harbors: none

Airports: 16 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 10

2,438 to 3,047 m: 2

under 914 m: 8 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 6

914 to 1,523 m: 3

under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Military

Military branches: Army (includes Air and Air Defense Forces),
Police Force

Military manpower - military age: 19 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 548,183 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 442,053 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 17,905 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $76.3 million (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.17% (FY00/01)

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Transnational Issues Top of Page

Disputes - international: dispute with Greece over its name; February 2001 agreement with Yugoslavia settled alignment of boundary, stipulating implementation within two years

Illicit drugs: increasing transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe

@Madagascar

Madagascar Introduction

Background: 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.

Madagascar Geography

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: 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

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: 4%

permanent crops: 1%

permanent pastures: 41%

forests and woodland: 40%

other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10,870 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic cyclones

Environment - current issues: 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, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

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

Madagascar People

Population: 15,982,563 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 45.02% (male 3,607,803; female 3,587,532)

15-64 years: 51.77% (male 4,093,720; female 4,180,430)

65 years and over: 3.21% (male 239,839; female 273,239) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.02% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 42.66 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 12.42 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female

total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 83.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.35 years

male: 53.08 years

female: 57.68 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.15% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 11,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 870 (1999 est.)

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: French (official), Malagasy (official)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 80%

male: 88%

female: 73% (1990 est.)

Madagascar Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar

conventional short form: Madagascar

local long form: Republique de Madagascar

local short form: Madagascar

former: Malagasy Republic

Government type: republic

Capital: Antananarivo

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President Didier RATSIRAKA (since 10 February 1997)

head of government: Prime Minister Tantely Rene Gabriot ANDRIANARIVO (since NA 1998)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 December 1996 (next to be held NA November 2001); prime minister appointed by the president from a list of candidates nominated by the National Assembly

election results: Didier RATSIRAKA elected president; percent of vote - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 50.7%, Albert ZAFY (AFFA) 49.3%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 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 17 May 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)

election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - AREMA 63, LEADER/Fanilo 16, AVI 14, RPSD 11, AFFA 6, MFM 3, AKFM/Fanavaozana 3, GRAD/Iloafo 1, Fihaonana 1, independents 32

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional
Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle

Political parties and leaders: 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; 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: Federalist Movement; National
Council of Christian Churches or FFKM

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer),
ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Zina ANDRIANARIVELO-RAZAFY

chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone: (202) 265-5525, 5526

consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Shirley E. BARNES

embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo

mailing address: B. P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo

telephone: (20) 22-212-57