World Facts Index
 Formerly
an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896 but regained
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. RAVALOMANANA is now in his second term
following a landslide victory in the generally free and fair presidential
elections of 2006.
Geography of Madagascar
|
Location:
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Southern Africa, island in
the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique |
|
Coordinates:
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20 00 S, 47 00 E |
|
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:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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4,828 km |
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Maritime claims:
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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:
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tropical along coast,
temperate inland, arid in south |
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Terrain:
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narrow coastal plain, high
plateau and mountains in center |
|
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Indian
Ocean 0 m
highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m |
|
Natural resources:
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graphite, chromite, coal,
bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish,
hydropower |
|
Natural hazards:
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periodic cyclones |
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Environment current issues:
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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 |
|
Geography - note:
|
world's fourth-largest
island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
|
Population of Madagascar
|
Population:
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20,042,552 (July 2008 est.) |
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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) |
|
Median age:
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17.5 years |
|
Growth rate:
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3.03% |
|
Infant mortality:
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75.21 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 57.34 years
male: 54.93 years
female: 59.82 years |
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Fertility rate:
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5.62 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Malagasy (singular and plural)
adjective: Malagasy |
|
Ethnic groups:
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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% |
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Languages:
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French (official), Malagasy (official) |
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Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 68.9%
male: 75.5%
female: 62.5%
|
Government
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Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
Madagascar
former: Malagasy Republic
local long form: Republique de Madagascar |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Antananarivo |
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Administrative divisions:
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6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo,
Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara |
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Independence:
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26 June 1960 (from France) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 26 June (1960) |
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Constitution:
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19 August 1992 by national referendum |
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Legal system:
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based on French civil law system and
traditional Malagasy law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Marc RAVALOMANANA
(since 6 May 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Charles RABEMANANJARA (25 January 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for
a second term); election last held 3 December 2006 (next to be held in December
2011); prime minister appointed by the president. |
|
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) |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High
Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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 |
Economy
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 US. 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:
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$18.44 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
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5.1% |
|
GDP per capita:
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$900 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 27.6%
industry: 16.5%
services: 55.9% |
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Inflation rate:
|
15% |
|
Budget:
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revenues: $703.6 million
expenditures: $853 million |
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Electricity production by source:
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fossil fuel: 36.1%
hydro: 63.9%
other: 0% |
|
Industries:
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meat processing, soap, breweries,
tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper,
petroleum, tourism |
|
Agriculture:
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coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava
(tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products |
|
Exports:
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coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar; cotton
cloth, chromite, petroleum products |
|
Export partners:
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France 30.7%, US 30.1%, Germany 8.7% |
|
Imports:
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capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods,
food |
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Import partners:
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France 16.6%, China 10.6%, Iran 7.3%, Mauritius 6.7%,
South Africa 6.1%, Hong Kong 5% |
|
Currency:
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Malagasy franc (MGF) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |