Madagascar

§1. 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.

§2. Madagascar 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: 587,040 km²
  land: 581,540 km²
  water: 5,500 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  4,828 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  contiguous zone: 24 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 2,876 m

Natural resources:
  graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious
  stones, mica, fish, hydropower

Land use:
  arable land: 5.03%
  permanent crops: 1.02%
  other: 93.95% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  10,900 km² (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 endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
    Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
    Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel

§3. Madagascar People

Population:
  18,595,469 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 44.8% (male 4,171,821/female 4,158,288)
  15-64 years: 52.2% (male 4,809,173/female 4,900,675)
  65 years and over: 3% (male 249,414/female 306,098) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 17.5 years
  male: 17.3 years
  female: 17.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  3.03% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  41.41 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  11.11 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.82 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 75.21 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 83.34 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 66.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 57.34 years
  male: 54.93 years
  female: 59.82 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  5.62 children born/woman (2006 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: high
  food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A,
    and typhoid fever
  vectorborne diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations
  water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

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: 68.9%
  male: 75.5%
  female: 62.5% (2003 est.)

§4. Madagascar Government

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

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; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May 2002)
  head of government: Prime Minister Jacques SYLLA (27 May 2002)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election
    last held 16 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006); prime
    minister appointed by the president
  election results: percent of vote - Marc RAVALOMANANA (TIM) 50.5%, Didier
    RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 37.7%

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: National Assembly - last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held
    December 2006)
  election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
    by party - TIM 103, FP 22, AREMA 3, LEADER/Fanilo 2, RPSD 5, others 3,
    independents 22

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:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
  (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW,
  SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rajaonarivony NARISOA
  chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526
  FAX: [1] (202) 265-3034
  consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador James D. MCGEE
  embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo 101
  mailing address: B. P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo
  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

§5. Madagascar 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 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):
  $15.85 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $4.569 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  6% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 28.7%
  industry: 16.5%
  services: 54.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  7.3 million (2000)

Population below poverty line:
  50% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 3%
  highest 10%: 29% (1999)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  47.5 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  10% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  26.8% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $703.6 million
  expenditures: $853 million; including capital expenditures of $331 million
    (2005 est.)

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:
  825.4 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  767.7 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  89.27 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  15,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  0 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  0 m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-292 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $951 million f.o.b. (2005 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:
  $1.4 billion f.o.b. (2005 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:
  $539 million (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $4.6 billion (2002)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $354 million (2001)

Currency (code):
  Madagascar ariary (MGA)

Exchange rates:
  Malagasy ariary per US dollar - 2,003 (2005), 1,868.9 (2004), 1,238.3
  (2003), 1,366.4 (2002), 1,317.7 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Madagascar Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  58,700 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  333,900 (2004)

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: country code - 261; 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)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001)

Internet country code:
  .mg

Internet hosts:
  805 (2005)

Internet users:
  90,000 (2005)

§7. Madagascar Transportation

Airports:
  116 (2005)

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 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 87
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 42
  under 914 m: 43 (2005)

Railways:
  total: 732 km
  narrow gauge: 732 km 1.000-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 49,827 km
  paved: 5,780 km
  unpaved: 44,047 km (1999)

Waterways:
  600 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 9 ships (1000 GRT or over) 13,896 GRT/18,466 DWT
  by type: cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2
  registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1)
    (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

§8. Madagascar Military

Military branches:
  People's Armed Forces: Intervention Force, Development Force, and Aeronaval
    (Navy and Air) Force; National Gendarmerie

Military service age and obligation:
  18-50 years of age; conscript service obligation - 18 months (either
  military or equivalent civil service) (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 3,542,797 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 2,218,662 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 187,000 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $329 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  7.2% (2005 est.)

§9. Madagascar 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


<Factbook 2006>
