Madagascar

republicIndependence 26 June 1960 (from France

Madagascar as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAntananarivo

Area587,040 km2

Populationas each edition published it

12.6 million July 1992 · 11.8m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.2% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 53.52 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.8 children per woman 1992 · 6.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

93 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 97 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $200 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 1% in 1993

Geography

13 fields

Total area

587,040km2

Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

Coastline

4,828km

land boundaries: noneExclusive economic zone: 200 nmTerritorial sea: 12 nm

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%;
includes irrigated 2%

Environment

subject to periodic cyclones;
deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
desertification

Note

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

People

14 fields

Population

12,596,263

(July 1992), growth rate 3.2% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

46Death

14Net migration

Religions

indigenous beliefs 52%Christian about 41%Muslim 7%

Literacy

80%

(male 88%, female 73%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun - Malagasy (singular and plural); adjective - Malagasy

Ethnic divisions

basic split between highlanders of predominantly Malayo-Indonesian origin (Merina and related Betsileo) on the one hand and coastal tribes, collectively termed the Cotiers, with mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry (Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), on the other;
there are also small French, Indian, Creole, and Comoran communities;
no current, accurate assessment of tribal numbers is available

Labor force

4,900,000;
90% nonsalaried family workers engaged in subsistence agriculture;
175,000 wage earners - agriculture 26%, domestic service 17%, industry 15%, commerce 14%, construction 11%, services 9%, transportation 6%, other 2%;
51% of population of working age (1985)

Government

Republic

18 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

62%

Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 62%Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA (MFM/MFT) 20%Dr. Jerome Marojama RAZANABAHINY (VONJY) 15%Monja JAONA (MONIMA) 3%

Administrative divisions

6 provinces (plural - NA, singular - faritanin'); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliary

Independence

26 June 1960 (from France; formerly Malagasy Republic)

Constitution

21 December 1975; note - a new constitution is to be in place before 1993

Legal system

based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers

unicameral Popular National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire); note - the National Assembly has suspended its operations during 1992 in preparation for new legislative and presidential 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 RASANAMAZY (since 8 August 1991)

Political parties and leaders

some 30 political parties now exist in Madagascar, the most important of which are the Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier RATSIRAKA;
Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM), RAKOTOVAO-ANDRIATIANA;
Congress Party for Malagasy Independence-Revival (AKFM-R), Pastor Richard ANDRIAMANJATO;
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

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Elections

President:: last held on 12 March 1989 (next to be held NA 1992);
results - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 62%, Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA (MFM/MFT) 20%, Dr. Jerome Marojama RAZANABAHINY (VONJY) 15%, Monja JAONA (MONIMA) 3%
Popular National Assembly:: last held on 28 May 1989 (next to be held 1992);
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

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

Ambassador Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO;
Chancery at 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008;
telephone (202) 265-5525 or 5526;
there is a Malagasy Consulate General in New York

US:: Ambassador Howard K. WALKER;
Embassy at 14 and 16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo (mailing address is B. P. 620, Antananarivo);
telephone [261] (2) 212-57, 209-56, 200-89, 207-18

Flag

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side

Economy

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world.

17 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

10%

(1991)

External debt

$4.4billion

(1991)

Budget

Revenues

$390 millionExpenditures

$525 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $240 million (1990 est.)

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 40% of GDP, employing about 80% of the labor force, and contributing to more than 70% of total export earnings. Industry is largely confined to the processing of agricultural products and textile manufacturing;

in 1990 it accounted for only 16% of GDP and employed almost 5% of the labor force. 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.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate -3.8% (1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$290 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)

commodities:: coffee 45%, vanilla 15%, cloves 11%, sugar, petroleum products
partners:: France, Japan, Italy, Germany, US

Imports

$436 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)

commodities:: intermediate manufactures 30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 15%, consumer goods 14%, food 13%
partners:: France, Germany, UK, other EC, US

Industrial production

growth rate 5.2% (1990 est.); accounts for 16% 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 40% 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

Malagasy franc (plural - francs); 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1 - 1,943.4 (March 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

8 fields

Merchant marine, 14 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 9roll-on/roll-off cargo 2petroleum tanker 1chemical tanker 1liquefied gas 114 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,255 GRT/81,509 DWT

Airports, 148 total, 103 usable

permanent-surface runways

30runways | over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

3runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

40,000Railroads

1,020

Highways: ; 4,694 km paved, 811 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, 34,495 km improved and unimproved earth (est.)

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

Civil air

8 major transport aircraft

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

Defense Forces

Popular Armed Forces (including Intervention Forces, Development Forces, | Aeronaval Forces - including Navy and Air Force), Gendarmerie, Presidential | Security Regiment

3 fields

Branches

Popular Armed Forces (including Intervention Forces, Development Forces, Aeronaval Forces - including Navy and Air Force), Gendarmerie, Presidential Security Regiment

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 2,730,713;
1,625,335 fit for military service;
114,687 reach military age (20) annually

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $37 million, 2.2% of GDP (1989 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Madagascar.” The World Factbook 1992. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/madagascar/1992.

How to cite ← 1991 edition 1993 edition →