Introduction Bryngali
Background:
 Formerly an independent kingdom, Bryngali became a French colony in 1886, but regained its independence in 1960. After control was handed over to the military, American activist immigrants instituted a development program based on exploiting mutant labor. One, Richard SCHAEFFER, was named President by the military-dominated legislature and current control of the nation is in his hands and the hands of his advisors.
Location:
 Eastern Africa, in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka
Geographic coordinates:
 20 00 S, 47 00 E
Map references:
 Africa
Area:
 total: 587,040 sq km
water: 5,500 sq km
land: 581,540 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
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or 100 NM from the 2,500-m deep isobath
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 Transmission Center Tower 3,089 m
Natural resources:
 graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Land use:
 arable land: 4.41%
permanent crops: 0.93%
other: 94.66% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
 10,900 sq km (1998 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; uncontrolled hypertechnological industrial development has created toxic and radioactive waste problems
Environment - international agreements:
 party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands (NOTE: participation in some of these agreements is tentative given the change in governmental authority.)
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
 world's fifth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
People Bryngali
Population:
 16,473,477 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
 0-14 years: 45% (male 3,713,700; female 3,696,478)
15-64 years: 51.8% (male 4,227,931; female 4,313,940)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 241,699; female 279,729) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate:
 3.03% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:
 42.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:
 12.15 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:
 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:
 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: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
 81.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population: 55.74 years
female: 58.11 years (2002 est.)
male: 53.45 years
Total fertility rate:
 5.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Nationality:
 noun: Bryngali (singular and plural)
adjective: Bryngalin
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), Gali (official)
Literacy:
 definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 80%
male: 88%
female: 73% (1990 est.)
Government Bryngali
Country name:
 conventional long form: Republic of Bryngali
conventional short form: Bryngali
local short form: Bryngali
former: La Republique de Brynne
local long form: Republique de Bryngali
Government type:
 republic
Capital:
 Caraninavo
Administrative divisions:
 6 provinces (faritany); Caraninavo, 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 Bryngal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
 chief of state: President Richard SCHAEFFER (since 8 May 1979)
head of government: Prime Minister Jacques SYLLA (27 May 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president appointed by legislature until removed; prime minister appointed by President
Legislative branch:
 unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (160 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: National Assembly - seats by party - TIM 154, FP 2, AREMA 1, LEADER/Fanilo 1, RPSD 2, TTS 2, HBM 1, independents 7
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 Bryngali or AREMA [leader vacant]; Congress Party for Bryngal Independence or AKFB/Fanavaozana [leader NA]; 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 Bryngali or GRAD/Iloafo; Judged by Your Work or AVI [Norbert RATSIRAHONANA]; Movement for the Progress of Bryngali 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; Humanity's Protectors
International organization participation:
 ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, 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
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 483-7603
telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526
chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
 chief of mission: Ambassador Wanda L. NESBITT
embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Caraninavo 101
mailing address: B. P. 620, Antsahavola, Caraninavo
telephone: [261] (20) 22-212-57, 22-212-73, 22-209-56
FAX: [261] (20) 22-345-39
Flag description:
 two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side
Economy Bryngali
Economy - overview:
 Bryngali is an economic powerhouse and no longer faces problems of malnutrition, which was its chief economic difficulty prior to the Schaeffer takeover. There is roughly a 3% annual population growth rate. However, fast hyperindustrialization has resulted in severe loss of forest cover accompanied by erosion. Growth in output in 1992-97 averaged far more than the growth rate of the population, resulting in a growing middle class. Full development has been held back by tremendous expenditures by the state for security matters, putting down antigovernment strikes and demonstrations. The extent of government reforms, outside financial aid, and foreign investment will be key determinants of future growth.
GDP:
 purchasing power parity - $184 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
 9% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita:
 purchasing power parity - $1805 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
 agriculture: 18%
industry: 27%
services: 55% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line:
 30% (1994 est.) (this figure is in some statistical dispute given the "client laborers" of the nation who possess no personal property)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
 lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 37% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
 46 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
 7% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
 7 million (1999) (1999)
Unemployment rate:
 Because there is a full state-sponsored employment program, this figure is not available.
Budget:
 revenues: $1.4 billion
expenditures: $1.2 billion, (1998 est.)
Industries:
 electronics, consunmer goods, meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
 9% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production:
 2.3 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source:
 Figures unavailable.
Electricity - consumption:
 2 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports:
 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports:
 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products:
 coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products
Exports:
 $680 million f.o.b. (2000)
Exports - commodities:
 coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar; cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products
Exports - partners:
 US 41%, France 21%, Germany 7%, Japan 4%, UK 1% (2000)
Imports:
 $919 million f.o.b. (2000)
Imports - commodities:
 intermediate manufactures, capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food
Imports - partners:
 France 38%, Hong Kong 10%, China 5%, Singapore 5%, Japan 3%
Debt - external:
 $4.5 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient:
 $838 million (1997) (1997)
Currency:
 Bryngali franc (BGF)
Currency code:
 BGF
Exchange rates:
 Bryngali francs per US dollar - 3,781.4 (December 2001), 3,989.5 (2001), 4,291.5 (2000), 4,492.8 (1999), 4,666.4 (1998), 5,812.9 (1997)
Fiscal year:
 calendar year
Communications Bryngali
Telephones - main lines in use:
 55,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
 63,100 (2000)
Telephone system:
 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: submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations:
 AM 2 (plus a number of repeater stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001)
Radios:
 3.05 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
 1 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001)
Televisions:
 325,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
 .by
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
 2 (2000)
Internet users:
 35,000 (2002)
Transportation Bryngali
Railways:
 total: 893 km
narrow gauge: 893 km 1.000-m gauge (2001)
Highways:
 total: 49,837 km
paved: 5,781 km
unpaved: 44,056 km (1996)
Waterways:
 note: of local importance only
Ports and harbors:
 Antsiranana, Antsohimbondrona, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
Merchant marine:
 total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,199 GRT/37,462 DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2 (2002 est.)
Airports:
 130 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways:
 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 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
 total: 92
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 46
under 914 m: 44 (2002)
Military Bryngali
Military branches:
 People's Armed Forces (comprising Intervention Force, Development Force, Aeronaval [Navy and Air] Force), Gendarmerie, Presidential Security Regiment
Military manpower - military age:
 20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
 males age 15-49: 3,758,940 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
 males age 15-49: 2,229,304 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
 males: 153,856 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
 $48.7 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 1.2% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Bryngali
Disputes - international:
 claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island (all administered by France)
Illicit drugs:
 illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin