Madagascar
Republic of MadagascarRepublique de Madagascar/
republicIndependence 26 June 1960 (from France)
Madagascar as the 2009 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 133 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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 achieved a second term following a landslide victory in the generally free and fair presidential elections of 2006. In early 2009, protests due to increasing restrictions on opposition press and activities resulted in RAVALOMANANA stepping down and the presidency was conferred to the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA. Following negotiations in July and August of 2009, a power-sharing agreement with a 15-month transitional period was established. Elections are expected in the fall of 2010.
Geography
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
20 fieldsLand useshare of 587,041 sq km
Natural resources
graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 14.96 cu km/yr (3%/2%/96%)
- per capita:
- 804 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment - current issues
- soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing;
- desertification;
- surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes;
- several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
People
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2009 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.8 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- very high
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases:
- chikungunya, malaria, and plague
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis (2009)
Ethnic groups
Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran
Government
Republic; President Andry RAJOELINA (since 18 March 2009); Prime Minister Monja Roindefo ZAFITSIMIVALO (since 18 March 2009)
18 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
National Assembly, 127 seats, elected 23 September 2007one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Madagascar
- conventional short form:
- Madagascar
- local long form:
- Republique de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara
- local short form:
- Madagascar/Madagasikara
- former:
- Malagasy Republic
Capital
- name:
- Antananarivo
- geographic coordinates:
- 18 55 S, 47 31 E
- time difference:
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
Legal system
based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Andry RAJOELINA (since 18 March 2009)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Monja Roindefo ZAFITSIMIVALO (since 18 March 2009)
- 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 October 2011);
- prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- ; note::;
- percent of vote - Marc RAVALOMANANA 54.8%, Jean LAHINIRIKO 11.7%, Roland RATSIRAKA 10.1%, Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO 9.1%, Norbert RATSIRAHONANA 4.2%, Ny Hasina ANDRIAMANJATO 4.2%, Elia RAVELOMANANTSOA 2.6%, Pety RAKOTONIAINA 1.7%, other 1.6%;
- note - RAVALOMANANA stepped down on 17 March 2009
- on 17 March 2009, democratically elected President Marc RAVALOMANANA stepped down handing the government over to the military, which in turn conferred the presidency on opposition leader and Antananarivo mayor Andry RAJOELINA, who will head the High Transition Authority;
- a power-sharing agreement reached in August 2009 established a 15-month transition period, concluding in general elections
Legislative branch
bicameral legislature consists of a Senate or Senat (100 seats; two-thirds of the seats filled by regional assemblies; the remaining one-third of seats appointed by the president; to serve four-year terms) and a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (127 seats - reduced from 160 seats by an April 2007 national referendum; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- National Assembly - last held 23 September 2007 (next to be held in late 2010);
- note - a power-sharing agreement in the summer of 2009 established a 15-month transition, concluding in general elections
- election results:
- National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - TIM 106, LEADER/Fanilo 1, independents 20
Judicial branch
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle
Political parties and leaders
- Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA [Pierrot RAJAONARIVELO];
- Democratic Party for Union in Madagascar or PSDUM [Jean LAHINIRIKO];
- 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
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Jocelyn Bertin RADIFERA
- chancery:
- 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 265-5525 through 5526
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 265-3034
- consulate(s) general:
- Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador R. Niels MARQUARDT
- embassy:
- 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo 101
- mailing address:
- B. P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo
- telephone:
- [261] (20) 22-212-57, 22-212-73, 22-209-56
- FAX:
- [261] (20) 22-345-39
Flag description
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side
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.
47 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2008 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
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.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
47.5 (2001) · 38.1 (1999) country comparison to the world: 33
Commercial bank prime lending rate
45% (31 December 2008) · 45% (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 3
Stock of money
$1.217 billion (31 December 2008) · $1.161 billion (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 84
Stock of quasi money
$667.2 million (31 December 2008) · $577.4 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 104
Stock of domestic credit
$820.3 million (31 December 2008) · $767.5 million (31 December 2007) country comparison to the world: 111
Agriculture - products
coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products
Industries
meat processing, seafood, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism
Current account balance
-$1.03 billion (2008 est.) · -$807 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$982.3 million (31 December 2008 est.) · $846.7 million (31 December 2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Debt - external
$2.023 billion (31 December 2008 est.) · $4.6 billion (2002) country comparison to the world: 135
Exchange rates
Malagasy ariary (MGA) per US dollar - 1,654.78 (2008 est.), 1,880 (2007), 2,161.4 (2006), 2,003 (2005), 1,868.9 (2004)
Communications
8 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- system is above average for the region;
- Antananarivo's main telephone exchange modernized in the late 1990s, but the rest of the analogue-based telephone system is poorly developed;
- have added new fixed lines since 2005
- domestic:
- combined fixed-line and mobile telephone density about 25 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 261;
- submarine cable to Bahrain;
- satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2008)
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 8 ships by typeone square, one ship · (2008)
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
People's Armed Forces: Intervention Force, Development Force, and Aeronaval Force (navy and air); National Gendarmerie
6 fieldsMilitary branches
People's Armed Forces: Intervention Force, Development Force, and Aeronaval Force (navy and air); National Gendarmerie
Military service age and obligation
- 18-25 years of age for male-only compulsory military service;
- 18-month conscript service obligation (either military or equivalent civil service);
- 20-30 years of age for National Gendarmerie recruits (35 years of age for those with military experience) (2008)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 4,443,341
- females age 16-49:
- 4,441,124 (2008 est.)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Madagascar.” The World Factbook 2009. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/madagascar/2009.