Madagascar

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 sq km
land: 581,540 sq km
water: 5,500 sq km

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 4,828 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m 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

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, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea

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

Population: 14,061,627 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 45% (male 3,188,839; female 3,114,958)
15-64 years : 52% (male 3,608,508; female 3,680,574)
65 years and over: 3% (male 228,230; female 240,518) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.82% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 42.26 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 14.1 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 92 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.53 years
male : 51.4 years
female: 53.7 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.83 children born/woman (1997 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

Data code: MA

Government type: republic

National capital: Antananarivo

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliary

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) note - President Albert ZAFY impeached by the High Constitutional Court on 5 September 1996; Prime Minister Emmanuel RAKOTOVAHINY served as interim president until the election of President RATSIRAKA and then retired from the office of prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Pascal RAKOTOMAVO (since 21 February 1997)
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 2002); prime minister appointed by the president from a list of candidates nominated by the National Assembly
election results: percent of the popular vote for president - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 50.7%, Albert ZAFY (UNDD) 49.3%; percent of the National Assembly vote for prime minister - NA

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate or Senat (two-thirds of upper house seats are to be filled from popularly elected regional assemblies; the remaining third is to be filled by presidential appointment; members serve four-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (138 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 16 June 1993 (next to be held 3 August 1997)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CFV coalition 76, PMDM/MFM 16, CSCD 11, Famima 10, RPSD 7, various pro-Ratsiraka groups 10, others 8
note: the Senate has never been established because the regional assemblies have not been formed and are not expected to be formed before late in 1997, following a national referendum on a new constitution

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme); High Constitutional Court (Haute Cour Constitutionnelle)

Political parties and leaders: Committee of Living Forces or CFV, an alliance of National Union for Development and Democracy or UNDD [Emmanuel RAKOTOVAHINY, president], Support Committee for Democracy and Development in Madagascar or CSDDM [Francisque RAVONY, president], Action and Reflection Group for the Development of Madagascar or GRAD, Congress Party for Madagascar Independence-Renewal or AKFM-Fanavaozana [Richard ANDRIAMANJATO, president], and some 12 other parties, trade unions, and religious groups; Association of United Malagasys or Famima [Didier RATSIRAKA, leader]; Confederation of Civil Societies for Development or CSCD [Guy Willy RAZANAMASY]; Militant Party for the Development of Madagascar or PMDM/MFM, formerly the Movement for Proletarian Power [Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA]; Rally for Social Democracy or RPSD [Evariste MARSON, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders: National Council of Christian Churches or FFKM; Federalist Movement

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO
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 Vicki J. HUDDLESTON
embassy : 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo
mailing address: B. P. 620, Antananarivo
telephone: [261] (2) 212-57, 200-89, 207-18
FAX: [261] (2) 234-539

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 suffers from 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 33% of GDP and contributing more than 70% to export earnings. Industry features the processing of agricultural products and textile manufacturing. Growth in output in 1992-95 averaged only 1.4%, less than half the growth rate of the population. Growth has been held back by antigovernment strikes and demonstrations, a decline in world coffee demand, and the erratic commitment of the government to economic reform. Formidable obstacles stand in the way of Madagascar's realizing its considerable growth potential; the extent of government reforms, outside financial aid, and foreign investment will be key determinants.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $12.1 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $880 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture : 33%
industry: 15%
services: 52% (1996 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 47% (1995 est.)

Labor force:
total: 4.9 million
by occupation : agriculture 45,500, domestic service 29,750, industry 26,250, commerce 24,500, construction 19,250, service 15,750, transportation 10,500, other 3,500 (1985 est.)
note: 175,000 workers (3.6% of the total work force) earn money wages; 4,725,000 workers receive no monetary wage (of these, 91% are engaged in subsistence agriculture)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues : $250 million
expenditures: $265 million, including capital expenditures of $180 million (1991 est.)

Industries: meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (1993 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 208,000 kW (1991)

Electricity - production: 450 million kWh (1991)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 36 kWh (1992)

Agriculture - products: coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products

Exports:
total value: $493 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities: coffee 45%, vanilla 20%, cloves, shellfish, sugar, petroleum products (1995 est.)
partners : France 41%, US, Japan, Italy (1995)

Imports:
total value: $612 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
commodities : intermediate manufactures 30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 15%, consumer goods 14%, food 13% (1995 est.)
partners: France 40%, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, US (1995)

Debt - external: $4.4 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $454 million (1992-96)

Currency: 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates: Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1 - 3,950 (November 1996), 3,974.9 (August 1996), 4,265.6 (1995), 3,067.3 (1994), 1,913.8 (1993), 1,864.0 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Telephones: 96,000 (1988 est.)

Telephone system: system is above average for Africa
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 17, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios: 2.565 million (1992 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 1 (repeaters 36)

Televisions: 260,000 (1992 est.)

Railways:
total : 883 km
narrow gauge: 883 km 1.000-m gauge (1994)

Highways:
total: 49,837 km
paved: 5,731 km
unpaved : 44,106 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: of local importance only; isolated streams and small portions of Canal des Pangalanes

Ports and harbors: Antsiranana, Antsohimbondrona, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

Merchant marine:
total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,624 GRT/28,621 DWT
ships by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1996 est.)

Airports: 105 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 58
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m : 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 21
under 914 m: 31 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 47
1,524 to 2,437 m : 2
914 to 1,523 m: 45 (1996 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: 3,204,200 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 1,903,268 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 136,216 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $29 million (1994)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1% (1994)

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