Madagascar

total:

14.96 cu km/yr (3%/2%/96%)

per capita:

804 cu m/yr (2000)

• periodic cyclones;
• drought;
• and locust infestation

volcanism:

Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in historical times

• 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

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

noun:

Malagasy (singular and plural)

adjective:

Malagasy

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 (2011 est.)

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)

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

name:

Antananarivo

geographic coordinates:

18 55 S, 47 31 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

chief of state:

President Andry RAJOELINA (since 18 March 2009)

head of government:

Prime Minister Jean Omer BERIZIKY (since 2 November 2011)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 3 December 2006 (next to be held in March 2012);
• prime minister appointed by the president;
• note - a power-sharing agreement in the summer of 2009 established a 15-month transition, concluding in general elections now scheduled for March 2012 after repeated delays

election results:

• 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

; note::;

• 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 Transitional Authority;
• a power-sharing agreement reached in August 2009 established a 15-month transition period, concluding in general elections in 2010;
• as of December 2010 the agreement had not been fully implemented

• 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]

• 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

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Velotiana Rakotoanosy RAOBELINA

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

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

• two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side;
• by tradition, red stands for sovereignty, green for hope, white for purity

name:

"Ry Tanindraza nay malala o" (Oh, Our Beloved Fatherland)

lyrics/music:

Pasteur RAHAJASON/Norbert RAHARISOA

note: adopted 1959

lowest 10%:

2.6%

highest 10%:

41.5% (2005)

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 been adding fixed line connections since 2005

domestic:

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity about 30 per 100 persons

international:

• country code - 261;
• SEACOM undersea fiber-optic cable and the Lion undersea cable connecting to Reunion and Mauritius;
• satellite earth stations - 2 (1 Intelsat - Indian Ocean, 1 Intersputnik - Atlantic Ocean region) (2009)

• state-owned Radio Nationale Malagasy (RNM) and Television Malagasy (TVM) have an extensive national network reach;
• privately-owned radio and TV broadcasters in cities and major towns;
• state-run radio predominates in rural areas;
• relays of 2 international broadcasters are available in Antananarivo (2007)

total:

854 km

country comparison to the world: 97

narrow gauge:

854 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)

total:

65,663 km

country comparison to the world: 69

paved:

7,617 km

unpaved:

58,046 km (2003)

• 18-25 years of age for male-only voluntary military service;
• no conscription;
• service obligation - 18 months (either military or equivalent civil service);
• 20-30 years of age for National Gendarmerie recruits (35 years of age for those with military experience) (2010)

males age 16-49:

4,900,729

females age 16-49:

4,909,061 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

3,390,071

females age 16-49:

3,682,180 (2010 est.)

male:

248,184

female:

246,769 (2010 est.)

• claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France);
• the vegetated drying cays of Banc du Geyser, which were claimed by Madagascar in 1976, also fall within the EEZ claims of the Comoros and France (Glorioso Islands, part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands)

current situation:

• Madagascar is a source country for women and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
• sex and labor trafficking have increased, particularly due to a lack of economic development and a decline in the rule of law during the current political crisis, which began in March 2009;
• children, mostly from rural areas, are subjected to domestic servitude, commercial sexual exploitation, and forced labor in mining, fishing, and agriculture within the country

tier rating:

• Tier 3 - combating human trafficking has not been a priority of the de facto government, despite the growing size of the problem both internally and transnationally;
• the authorities' anti-trafficking efforts were negligible during the past year;
• they failed to prosecute or convict trafficking offenders, to identify and refer repatriated victims to necessary services, and to prevent the increased trafficking of Malagasy citizens;
• lack of awareness on the coverage and application of the anti-trafficking law, and the continued arrest and punishment of potential underage children in prostitution by local law enforcement, contributes to the dismal state of anti-trafficking law enforcement efforts in Madagascar (2011)