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:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m isobath

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, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 5.03% permanent crops: 1.02% other: 93.95% (2005)

Irrigated land:

10,860 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

337 cu km (1984)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 14.96 cu km/yr (3%/2%/96%) per capita: 804 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation

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

Geography - note:

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

People
Madagascar

Population:

20,042,552 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 43.7% (male 4,408,615/female 4,349,862) 15-64 years: 53.2% (male 5,298,805/female 5,371,764) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 275,087/female 338,418) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 17.9 years male: 17.7 years female: 18.1 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.005% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

38.38 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

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: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 55.59 deaths/1,000 live births male: 60.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 50.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 62.52 years male: 60.58 years female: 64.51 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

5.19 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

1.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

140,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

7,500 (2003 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 (2008)

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:

English (official), French (official), Malagasy (official)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 68.9% male: 75.5% female: 62.5% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 9 years male: 10 years female: 9 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

3.1% of GDP (2006)

Government
Madagascar

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

Government type:

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

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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Charles RABEMANANJARA (25 January 2007) 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 December 2011); prime minister appointed by the president 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%

Legislative branch:

bicameral legislature consists of 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) and 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) elections: National Assembly - last held 23 September 2007 (next to be held in 2011) 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: (202) 265-5525, 5526 FAX: (202) 265-3034 consulate(s) general: 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: (20) 22-212-57, 22-212-73, 22-209-56 FAX: (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
Madagascar

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$18.44 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$7.322 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$900 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 26.8% industry: 15.8% services: 57.4% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

7.3 million (2000)

Population below poverty line:

50% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 36.6% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

47.5 (2001)

Investment (gross fixed):

25.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $1.319 billion expenditures: $1.629 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

10.3% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

45% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$1.161 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$577.4 million (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$767.5 million (31 December 2007)

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

Industrial production growth rate:

6% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

1.045 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

907 million kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 36.1% hydro: 63.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

92.18 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

18,190 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

480.3 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

17,100 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current account balance:

-$890 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$986 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products

Exports - partners:

France 31.8%, US 26.6%, Germany 6.1%, UK 4.9%, Italy 4.4% (2007)

Imports:

$1.918 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food

Imports - partners:

France 13.6%, China 13%, Iran 8.1%, South Africa 6.4%, Hong Kong 4.9%, Mauritius 4.8% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$929.2 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$846.7 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$4.6 billion (2002)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: