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- #CARD:Madagascar:Geography
- #IMAGE 49 66 TWPCX \maps\Madagasc.PCX
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK Click Here for MAP
- 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
- land area:
- 581,540 km2
- comparative area:
- slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
- Land boundaries:
- 0 km
- Coastline:
- 4,828 km
- Maritime claims:
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Madagascar:People
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Madagascar
- 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
- male:
- 51.65 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)
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Madagascar:Government
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Madagascar
- 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)
- Constitution:
- 12 September 1992
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Madagascar:Government
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Madagascar
- Government
- 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
- consulate general:
- New York
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Madagascar:Economy
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Madagascar
- 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
- Electricity:
- 125,000 kW capacity; 450 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Madagascar:Economy
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Madagascar
- Economy
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Madagascar:Communications
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Madagascar
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Madagascar:Defense Forces
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Madagascar
- Defense Forces
-
-
- 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.)
-
- #ENDCARD
-