1981 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1981 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Member of
KAMA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OGAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Economy
Agriculture
cash crops — coffee, vanilla, cloves, sugar, tobacco, sisal, rice, raphia; food crops — rice, cassava, cereals, potatoes, corn, beans, bananas, coconuts, and peanuts; animal husbandry widespread; imports some rice, milk, and cereal
Budget
(1980) revenues $521 million (est), current expenditures $540 million (est.), development expenditures $255 (est.)
Electric power
100,000 kW capacity (1980); 410 million kWh produced (1980), 47 kWh per capita
Exports
$518.0 million (f.o.b., 1980); 30% coffee, 8% vanilla, 7% sugar, 6% cloves; agricultural and livestock products account for about 85% of export earnings
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 51,380 metric tons (1978)
GDP
$2.3 billion (1980), about $265 per capita; real growth 4.2% (1980)
Imports
$724.1 million (f.o.b., 1980); about 19% consumer goods, 21% foodstuffs, 41% primary products (crude oil, fertilizers, metal products), 19% capital goods (1974)
Major industries
agricultural processing (meat canneries, soap factories, brewery, tanneries, sugar refining), light consumer goods industries (textiles, glassware), cement plant, auto assembly plant, paper mill, oil refinery
Major trade partners
France (in 1974 accounted for 37% of exports and 48% of imports), US, EC; trade with Communist countries remains a minute part of total trade
Monetary conversion rate
290 Malagasy francs=US$l
Communications
Airfields
172 total, 131 usable; 29 with permanentsurface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 45 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
7 major transport aircraft, including 1 leased out
Highways
27,500 km total; 4,694 km paved, 811 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; remainder improved and unimproved earth (est.)
Inland waterways
of local importance only, Lake Alaotra, isolated streams and small portions of Canal des Pangalanes
Military budget
for fiscal year ending 31 December 1981, $114.4 million; about 10.3% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,972,000; 1,206,000 fit for military service; 84,000 reach military age (20) annually
Ports
4 major (Tamatave, Diego Suarez, Majunga, Tulear)
Railroads
884 km of meter gauge (1.00 m)
Telecommunications
fair system, above African average; includes open-wire lines, coaxial cables, and radio-relay links; 1 Indian Ocean satellite station; 37,100 telephones (0.4 per 100 popl.); 11 AM, no FM, and 4 TV stations DEFENSE FORCES