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. For 2001, growth should
again be about 5%.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 4.8% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30%

industry: 14%

services: 56% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: 70% (1994 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%:
1.9%

highest 10%: 36.7% (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 7 million (1999)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues: $553 million

expenditures: $735 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)

Industries: meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar,
textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper,
petroleum, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 810 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 37.04%

hydro: 62.96%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 753.3 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa,
rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products

Exports: $538 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities: coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar; cotton
cloth, chromite, petroleum products

Exports - partners: France 41%, US 19%, Germany 13%, UK 8%, Japan 6%
(1999)

Imports: $693 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities: intermediate manufactures, capital goods,
petroleum, consumer goods, food

Imports - partners: France 34%, Hong Kong 6%, China 6%, Japan 5%,
Singapore 4% (1999)

Debt - external: $4.4 billion (1999)

Economic aid - recipient: $838 million (1997)

Currency: Malagasy franc (MGF)

Currency code: MGF

Exchange rates: Malagasy francs per US dollar - 6,656.3 (November
2000), 6,283.8 (1999), 5,441.4 (1998), 5,090.9 (1997), 4,061.3 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Madagascar Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 43,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: