Madagascar

Internet country code

.mg

Internet hosts

773 (2003)

Internet users

70,500 (2003)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2 (plus a number of repeater stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001)

Telephone system

general assessment: system is above average for the region domestic: open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter links connect regions international: country code - 261; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)

Telephones - main lines in use

59,600 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular

279,500 (2003)

Television broadcast stations

1 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001)

Agriculture - products

coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products

Budget

revenues: $739.6 million expenditures: $1.071 billion, including capital expenditures of $331 million (2003)

Currency

Malagasy franc (MGF)

Currency code

MGF

Current account balance

$-398 million (2003)

Debt - external

$4.6 billion (2002)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

38.1 (1999)

Economic aid - recipient

$354 million (2001)

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 has 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 four-fifths of the population. Exports of apparel have boomed in recent years primarily due to duty-free access to the United States. 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.

Electricity - consumption

772.1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

830.2 million kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Malagasy francs per US dollar - 6,210 (2003), 6,831.96 (2002), 6,588.49 (2001), 6,767.48 (2000), 6,283.77 (1999)

Exports

$700 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

France 37.4%, US 29.2%, Germany 5.5%, Mauritius 5.2% (2003)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $13.02 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 34.5% industry: 7.8% services: 57.7% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $800 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 29% (1999)

Imports

$920 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food

Imports - partners

China 14.2%, France 13.2%, South Africa 6.4%, Iran 6.2% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (2000 est.)

Industries

meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

14.8% of GDP (2003)

Labor force

7.3 million (2000)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2002)

Oil - consumption

13,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2002)

Population below poverty line

71% (1999 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold

$423 million (2003)

Unemployment rate

5.9% (1998)

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

Climate

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Coastline

4,828 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m

Environment - current issues

soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several species of flora and fauna unique to the island are endangered

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, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

20 00 S, 47 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

10,900 sq km (2000 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 5.07% permanent crops: 1.03% other: 93.91% (2001)

Location

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique

Map references

Africa

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 deep isobath

Natural hazards

periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation

Natural resources

graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

Terrain

narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Administrative divisions

6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

Capital

Antananarivo

Constitution

19 August 1992 by national referendum

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar conventional short form: Madagascar local long form: Republique de Madagascar local short form: Madagascar former: Malagasy Republic

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Wanda L. NESBITT 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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Rajaonarivony NARISOA chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526 FAX: [1] (202) 483-7603 consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May 2002) head of government: Prime Minister Jacques SYLLA (27 May 2002) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 16 December 2001 (next to be held NA November 2006); prime minister appointed by the president election results: percent of vote - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 37.7%, Marc RAVALOMANANA (TIM) 50.5%

Flag description

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

Government type

republic

Independence

26 June 1960 (from France)

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (160 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); Senate (100 seats; two-thirds of the seats filled by regional assemblies whose members will be elected by popular vote; the remaining one-third of the seats appointed by the president; all members will serve four-year terms) elections: National Assembly - last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - TIM 103, FP 22, AREMA 3, LEADER/Fanilo 2, RPSD 5, others 3, independents 22

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 June (1960)

Political parties and leaders

Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA [Pierrot RAJAONARIVO]; 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896, but regained its 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.

Military branches

People's Armed Forces: comprising Intervention Force, Development Force, and Aeronaval - Navy and Air - Force; National Gendarmerie

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$69.8 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.2% (2003)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 4,004,242 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 2,373,342 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age (est.); conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 169,186 (2004 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 44.9% (male 3,935,523; female 3,922,077) 15-64 years: 52% (male 4,509,877; female 4,596,662) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 245,168; female 292,564) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

41.91 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

11.62 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

7,500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

140,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 78.52 deaths/1,000 live births male: 86.84 deaths/1,000 live births female: 69.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

French (official), Malagasy (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 56.54 years male: 54.19 years female: 58.96 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

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

Median age

total: 17.4 years male: 17.2 years female: 17.7 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Malagasy (singular and plural) adjective: Malagasy

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

17,501,871 (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

3.03% (2004 est.)

Religions

indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.7 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - 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

Airports

116 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 29 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 87 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 43 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 49,827 km paved: 5,780 km unpaved: 44,047 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 14,865 GRT/17,936 DWT by type: cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)

Ports and harbors

Antsiranana, Antsohimbondrona, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

Railways

total: 732 km narrow gauge: 732 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Waterways

600 km (2004)