Access to THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 provided courtesy of The Libraries of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Match 148 DB Rec# - 55,895 Dataset-WOFACT Source :CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Source key :CI Program :WORLD FACTBOOK Program key :CI WOFACT Update sched. :Annually ID number :CI WOFACT 147 Title :MADAGASCAR Data type :TEXT End year :1994 Date of record:02/16/1994 Keywords 3 : | MADAGASCAR Text : MADAGASCAR GEOGRAPHY Location: in the western Indian Ocean, 430 km east of Mozambique in Southern Africa Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 587,040 km2 comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Arizona Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 4,828 km exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm International disputes: claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island (all administered by France) Climate: tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 58% forest and woodland: 26% other: 11% Irrigated land: 9,000 km2 (1989 est.) Environment: subject to periodic cyclones; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification Note: world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel PEOPLE Population: 13,005,989 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 3.2% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 45.66 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 13.71 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 91 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 53.52 years female: 55.45 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.75 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Malagasy (singular and plural) adjective: Malagasy Ethnic divisions: 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: age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 80% male: 88% female: 73% Labor force: 4.9 million 90% nonsalaried family workers engaged in subsistence agriculture; 175,000 wage earners by occupation: agriculture 26%, domestic service 17%, industry 15%, commerce 14%, construction 11%, services 9%, transportation 6%, other 2% note: 51% of population of working age (1985) GOVERNMENT Names: conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar conventional short form: Madagascar local long form: Republique de Madagascar local short form: Madagascar former: Malagasy Republic Digraph: MA Type: republic Capital: Antananarivo Administrative divisions: 6 provinces - Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliary Independence: 26 June 1960 (from France) Legal system: based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction National holiday: Independence Day, 26 June (1960) Political parties and leaders: some 30 political parties now exist in Madagascar, the most important of which are Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier RATSIRAKA; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM), RAKOTOVAO-ANDRIATIANA; Movement for National Unity (VONJY), Dr. Marojama RAZANABAHINY; Malagasy Christian Democratic Union (UDECMA), Norbert ANDRIAMORASATA; Militants for the Establishment of a Proletarian Regime (MFM), Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA; National Movement for the Independence of Madagascar (MONIMA), Monja JAONA; National Union for the Defense of Democracy (UNDD), Albert ZAFY Other political or pressure groups: National Council of Christian Churches (FFKM), leader NA; Federalist Movement, leader NA Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: President: last held on 10 February 1993 (next to be held 1998); results - Albert ZAFY (UNDD), 67%; Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA), 33% Popular National Assembly: last held on 28 May 1989 (next to be held May 1993); results - AREMA 88.2%, MFM 5.1%, AKFM 3.7%, VONJY 2.2%, other 0.8%; seats - (137 total) AREMA 120, MFM 7, AKFM 5, VONJY 4, MONIMA 1 Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers Legislative branch: unicameral Popular National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire); note - the National Assembly has suspended its operations during 1992 and early 1993 in preparation for new legislative elections. In its place, an interim High Authority of State and a Social and Economic Recovery Council have been established Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme), High Constitutional Court (Haute Cour Constitutionnelle) Leaders: Chief of State: President Adm. Didier RATSIRAKA (since 15 June 1975) Head of Government: Prime Minister Guy RAZANAMASY (since 8 August 1991) Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 265-5525 or 5526 US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Douglas BARRETT embassy: 14 and 16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo mailing address: B. P. 620, Antananarivo telephone: 261 (2) 212-57, 209-56, 200-89, 207-18 FAX: 261-234-539 Flag: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side ECONOMY Overview: Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the mainstay of the economy, accounting for over 30% of GDP and contributing to more than 70% of total export earnings. Industry is largely confined to the processing of agricultural products and textile manufacturing; in 1991 it accounted for only 13% of GDP. In 1986 the government introduced a five-year development plan that stressed self-sufficiency in food (mainly rice) by 1990, increased production for exports, and reduced energy imports. After mid-1991, however, output dropped sharply because of protracted antigovernment strikes and demonstrations for political reform. National product: GDP - exchange rate conversion - $2.5 billion (1992 est.) National product real growth rate: 1% (1992 est.) National product per capita: $200 (1992 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (1992 est.) Unemployment rate: NA% Budget: revenues $250 million; expenditures $265 million, including capital expenditures of $180 million (1991) Exports: $312 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.) commodities: coffee 45%, vanilla 20%, cloves 11%, sugar, petroleum products partners: France, Japan, Italy, Germany, US Imports: $350 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: intermediate manufactures 30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 15%, consumer goods 14%, food 13% partners: France, Germany, UK, other EC, US External debt: $4.4 billion (1991) Industrial production: growth rate 5.2% (1990 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP capita (1991) Industries: agricultural processing (meat canneries, soap factories, breweries, tanneries, sugar refining plants), light consumer goods industries (textiles, glassware), cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum Agriculture: accounts for 31% of GDP; cash crops - coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa; food crops - rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts; cattle raising widespread; almost self-sufficient in rice Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $136 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3,125 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $491 million Currency: 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100 centimes Exchange rates: Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1 - 1,910.2 (December 1992), 1,867.9 (1992), 1,835.4 (1991), 1,454.6 (December 1990), 1,603.4 (1989), 1,407.1 (1988), 1,069.2 (1987) Fiscal year: calendar year COMMUNICATIONS Railroads: 1,020 km 1.000-meter gauge Highways: 40,000 km total; 4,694 km paved, 811 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, 34,495 km improved and unimproved earth (est.) Inland waterways: of local importance only; isolated streams and small portions of Canal des Pangalanes Ports: Toamasina, Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toliara Merchant marine: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 35,359 GRT/48,772 DWT; includes 6 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 oil tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas Airports: total: 146 usable: 103 with permanent-surface runways: 30 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 36 Telecommunications: above average system includes open-wire lines, coaxial cables, radio relay, and troposcatter links; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and broadcast stations - 17 AM, 3 FM, 1 (36 repeaters) TV Branches: Popular Armed Forces (including Intervention Forces, Development Forces, Aeronaval Forces - including Navy and Air Force), Gendarmerie, Presidential Security Regiment Manpower availability: males age 15-49 2,826,018; fit for military service 1,681,553; reach military age (20) annually 118,233 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $37 million, 2.2% of GDP (1991 est.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This section of THE WORLD FACTBOOK 1993 produced by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was derived from the US Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Division's NATIONAL TRADE DATA BANK CD-ROM, July, 1994, SuDoc No. C 1.88:994/7/v.1-2 / R. Muns, UM-St. Louis Libraries Local Filename: WF940145.TXT