Guide to Madagascar Introduction Background: Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896, 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. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner.
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
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 4,828 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
Climate: tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 10,900 sq km (2000 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation
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
Geography - note: world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
People Population: 18,040,341 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 3.03% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 41.66 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 11.35 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 5.66 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.7% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 140,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 7,500 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk
Nationality: noun
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
Government Country name: conventional long form
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
Legislative branch: bicameral legislature consists of a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (160 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and a Senate or Senat (100 seats; two-thirds of the seats filled by regional assemblies whose members will be elected by popular vote; the remaining one-third of the seats appointed by the president; all members will serve four-year terms) elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle
Political parties and leaders: Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA [Pierrot RAJAONARIVO]; Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National Recovery or LEADER/Fanilo [Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO]; Fihaonana Party or FP [Guy-Willy RAZANAMASY]; I Love Madagascar or TIM [Marc RAVALOMANANA]; Renewal of the Social Democratic Party or RPSD [Evariste MARSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Committee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR; Committee for National Reconciliation or CRN [Albert Zafy]; National Council of Christian Churches or FFKM
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side
Economy Economy - overview: Having discarded past socialist economic policies, Madagascar has since the mid 1990s followed a World Bank and IMF led policy of privatization and liberalization. This strategy has placed the country on a slow and steady growth path from an extremely low level. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-fourth of GDP and employing 80% of the population. Exports of apparel have boomed in recent years primarily due to duty-free access to the United States. Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by the use of firewood as the primary source of fuel are serious concerns. President RAVALOMANANA has worked aggressively to revive the economy following the 2002 political crisis, which triggered a 12% drop in GDP that year. Poverty reduction and combating corruption will be the centerpieces of economic policy for the next few years.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $14.56 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.5% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 7.3 million (2000)
Population below poverty line: 50% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 38.1 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.5% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 14.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Agriculture - products: coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products
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: 840.2 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 781.4 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 13,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Oil - proved reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 0 cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance: $-281.9 million (2004 est.)
Exports: $868.2 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar; cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products
Exports - partners: US 35.8%, France 30.8%, Germany 7.7% (2004)
Imports: $1.147 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food
Imports - partners: France 17.2%, China 9.7%, Hong Kong 6.6%, Iran 6.4%, Mauritius 6.2%, South Africa 5.6% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $500.3 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $4.6 billion (2002)
Economic aid - recipient: $354 million (2001)
Currency (code): Madagascar ariary (MGA)
Currency code: MGF
Exchange rates: Malagasy francs per US dollar - 1,868.9 (2004), 1,238.3 (2003), 1,366.4 (2002), 1,317.7 (2001), 1,353.5 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 59,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 279,500 (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment
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: .mg
Internet hosts: 773 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 70,500 (2003)
Transportation Railways: total
Highways: total
Waterways: 600 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 116 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Military Military branches: People's Armed Forces
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $44.6 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.2% (2004)
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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