Overview:
The economy is based largely on tourism (including gambling) and
textile and fireworks manufacturing. Efforts to diversify have spawned
other small industries - toys, artificial flowers, and electronics.
The tourist sector has accounted for roughly 25% of GDP, and the
clothing industry has provided about two-thirds of export earnings;
the gambling industry represented well over 40% of GDP in 1992. Macau
depends on China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy
imports. Japan and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw materials
and capital goods.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $3.5 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
12% (1992)
National product per capita:
$7,300 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.7% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
2% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
$305 million
expenditures:
$298 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports:
$1.8 billion (1992 est.)
commodities:
textiles, clothing, toys
partners:
US 35%, Hong Kong 12.5%, Germany 12%, China 9.9%, France 8% (1992
est.)
Imports:
$2 billion (1992 est.)
commodities:
raw materials, foodstuffs, capital goods
partners:
Hong Kong 33%, China 20%, Japan 18% (1992 est.)
External debt:
$91 million (1985)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
258,000 kW
production:
855 million kWh
consumption per capita:
1,806 kWh (1992)
Industries:
clothing, textiles, toys, plastic products, furniture, tourism
Agriculture:
rice, vegetables; food shortages - rice, vegetables, meat; depends
mostly on imports for food requirements
Economic aid:
none
Currency:
1 pataca (P) = 100 avos
Exchange rates:
patacas (P) per US$1 - 8.034 (1991-93), 8.024 (1990), 8.030 (1989);
note - linked to the Hong Kong dollar at the rate of 1.03 patacas per
Hong Kong dollar
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Macau, Communications
Highways:
total:
42 km
paved:
42 km
Ports:
Macau
Airports:
none usable, 1 under construction; 1 seaplane station
Telecommunications:
fairly modern communication facilities maintained for domestic and
international services; 52,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM,
3 FM, no TV (TV programs received from Hong Kong); 115,000 radio
receivers (est.); international high-frequency radio communication
facility; access to international communications carriers provided via
Hong Kong and China; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
@Macau, Defense Forces
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 139,499; fit for military service 77,887
Note:
defense is responsibility of Portugal
@Madagascar, Geography
Location:
Southern Africa, in the western Indian Ocean, 430 km east of
Mozambique
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
587,040 sq km
land area:
581,540 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
4,828 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova
Island, and Tromelin Island (all administered by France)
Climate:
tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Natural resources:
graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands,
semiprecious stones, mica, fish
Land use:
arable land:
4%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
58%
forest and woodland:
26%
other:
11%
Irrigated land:
9,000 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing;
desertification; surface water contaminated with untreated sewage and
other organic wastes; several species of flora and fauna unique to the
island are endangered
natural hazards:
subject to periodic cyclones
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of
the Sea
Note:
world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique
Channel
@Madagascar, People
Population:
13,427,758 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.19% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
45.22 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
13.35 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
89 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
53.98 years
male:
52.06 years
female:
55.96 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.68 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Malagasy (singular and plural)
adjective:
Malagasy
Ethnic divisions:
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:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
80%
male:
88%
female:
73%
Labor force:
4.9 million (90% nonsalaried family workers engaged in subsistence
agriculture; 175,000 wage earners)
by occupation:
agriculture 26%, domestic service 17%, industry 15%, commerce 14%,
construction 11%, services 9%, transportation 6%, other 2%
note:
51% of population of working age (1985)
@Madagascar, Government