| Background: |
Formerly an
independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in
1886, 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. |
| Location: |
Southern Africa,
island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
20 00 S, 47 00 E |
| Area: |
total:
587,040 sq km
land: 581,540 sq km
water: 5,500 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly less
than twice the size of Arizona |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or 100 NM from the
2,500-m deep isobath
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| 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 2,876 m |
| Natural
resources: |
graphite,
chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands,
semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
4%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 41%
forests and woodland: 40%
other: 14% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
10,870 sq km
(1993 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 |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography
- note: |
world's
fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique
Channel |
| Population: |
15,982,563 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
45.02% (male 3,607,803; female 3,587,532)
15-64 years: 51.77% (male 4,093,720; female
4,180,430)
65 years and over: 3.21% (male 239,839; female
273,239) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.02% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
42.66
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
12.42
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
83.58
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 55.35 years
male: 53.08 years
female: 57.68 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
5.8 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.15% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
11,000 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
870 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Malagasy (singular and plural)
adjective: Malagasy |
| 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:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 80%
male: 88%
female: 73% (1990 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Madagascar
conventional short form: Madagascar
local long form: Republique de Madagascar
local short form: Madagascar
former: Malagasy Republic |
| Government
type: |
republic |
| 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: President Didier RATSIRAKA (since 10
February 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Tantely Rene
Gabriot ANDRIANARIVO (since NA 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote
for a five-year term; election last held 29 December 1996
(next to be held NA November 2001); prime minister appointed
by the president from a list of candidates nominated by the
National Assembly
election results: Didier RATSIRAKA elected
president; percent of vote - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 50.7%,
Albert ZAFY (AFFA) 49.3% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 seats; members
are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms); note - the legislature is scheduled to become a
bicameral Parliament with the establishment of a Senate;
two-thirds of the seats of this Senate will be filled by
regional assemblies whose members will be elected by popular
vote; the remaining one-third of the seats will be appointed
by the president; the total number of seats will be
determined by the National Assembly; all members will serve
four-year terms
elections: National Assembly - last held 17 May
1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: National Assembly - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - AREMA 63, LEADER/Fanilo
16, AVI 14, RPSD 11, AFFA 6, MFM 3, AKFM/Fanavaozana 3,
GRAD/Iloafo 1, Fihaonana 1, independents 32 |
| 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 Madagascar or AREMA [leader
vacant]; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence or AKFM/Fanavaozana;
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 Madagascar or GRAD/Iloafo;
Judged by Your Work or AVI [Norbert RATSIRAHONANA]; Movement
for the Progress of Madagascar 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 |
| International
organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB,
CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU,
NAM, OAU, OPCW, 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
chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526
consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Shirley E. BARNES
embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola,
Antananarivo
mailing address: B. P. 620, Antsahavola,
Antananarivo
telephone: [261] (20) 22-212-57
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
- overview: |
Madagascar faces
problems of chronic malnutrition, underfunded health and
education facilities, a roughly 3% annual population growth
rate, and severe loss of forest cover, accompanied by
erosion. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the
mainstay of the economy, accounting for 30% of GDP and
contributing more than 70% to export earnings. Industry
features textile manufacturing and the processing of
agricultural products. Growth in output in 1992-97 averaged
less than the growth rate of the population. Growth has been
held back 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) |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
43,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
4,000 (1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: system is above average for the region
domestic: open-wire lines, coaxial cables,
microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter links
international: submarine cable to Bahrain;
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 2 (plus 8
repeater stations), FM 7, shortwave 5 (1998) |
| Radios: |
3.05 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (plus 36
repeaters) (1997) |
| Televisions: |
325,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.mg |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
2 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
8,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
883 km
narrow gauge: 883 km 1.000-m gauge (1994) |
| 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:
13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,819 GRT/34,173 DWT
ships by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 1,
liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2
(2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
130 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
29
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 19
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
101
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 56
under 914 m: 43 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Popular Armed
Forces (includes Intervention Forces, Development Forces,
Aeronaval Forces - includes Navy and Air Force),
Gendarmerie, Presidential Security Regiment |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
20 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 3,640,554 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 2,159,767 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
153,856 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$29 million
(FY94) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1% (FY94) |
| 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 |
|
