Background: Formerly an independent kingdom Madagascar became a French colony in 1886 but regained its independence in 1960. During 1992-93 free presidential and National Assembly elections were held ending 17 years of single-party rule.

Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S, 47 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 587,040 km²
Land: 581,540 km²
Water: 5,500 km²
Comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 4,828 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m isobath
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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
Extremes highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m

Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish

Land use
Arable land: 4%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 41%
Forests and woodland: 40%
Other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10,870 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic cyclones

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

Population: 14,061,627 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 2.82% (1997 est.)

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

Languages: French (official), Malagasy (official)

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 45% (male 3,188,839; female 3,114,958)
15-64 years: 52% (male 3,608,508; female 3,680,574)
65 years and over: 3% (male 228,230; female 240,518) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.82% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 42.26 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 14.1 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 92 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.53 years
Male: 51.4 years
Female: 53.7 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.83 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 80%
Male: 88%
Female: 73% (1990 est.)

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

Government type: republic

Capital: Antananarivo

Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (faritany; Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliary

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Didier RATSIRAKA; (since 10 February 1997) note - President Albert ZAFY impeached by the High Constitutional Court on 5 September 1996; Prime Minister Emmanuel RAKOTOVAHINY served as interim president until the election of President RATSIRAKA and then retired from the office of prime minister
Head of government: Prime Minister Pascal RAKOTOMAVO (since 21 February 1997)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 December 1996 (next to be held NA 2002); prime minister appointed by the president from a list of candidates nominated by the National Assembly
Election results: percent of the popular vote for president - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 50.7%, Albert ZAFY (UNDD) 49.3%; percent of the National Assembly vote for prime minister - NA

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate or Senat (two-thirds of upper house seats are to be filled from popularly elected regional assemblies; the remaining third is to be filled by presidential appointment; members serve four-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (138 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: National Assembly - last held 16 June 1993 (next to be held 3 August 1997)
Election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CFV coalition 76, PMDM/MFM 16, CSCD 11, Famima 10, RPSD 7, various pro-Ratsiraka groups 10, others 8
Note: the Senate has never been established because the regional assemblies have not been formed and are not expected to be formed before late in 1997, following a national referendum on a new constitution

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court (Haute Cour Constitutionnelle)

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO
In the us chancery: 2,374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-5,525, 5,526
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Vicki J. HUDDLESTON
From the us embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo
From the us mailing address: B. P. 620, Antananarivo
From the us telephone: [261] (2) 212-57, 200-89, 207-18
From the us FAX: [261] (2) 234-539

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

Economy overview: Madagascar suffers from chronic malnutrition, underfunded health and education facilities, a roughly 3% annual population growth rate, and severe loss of forest cover, accompanied by erosion. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the mainstay of the economy, accounting for 33% of GDP and contributing more than 70% to export earnings. Industry features the processing of agricultural products and textile manufacturing. Growth in output in 1992-95 averaged only 1.4%, less than half the growth rate of the population. Growth has been held back by antigovernment strikes and demonstrations, a decline in world coffee demand, and the erratic commitment of the government to economic reform. Formidable obstacles stand in the way of Madagascar's realizing its considerable growth potential; the extent of government reforms, outside financial aid, and foreign investment will be key determinants.

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $880 (1996 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 33%
Industry: 15%
Services: 52% (1996 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (1993 est.)

Labor force
Total: 4.9 million
By occupation agriculture: 45,500 domestic
By occupation service: 15,750
By occupation industry: 26,250
By occupation commerce: 24,500
By occupation construction: 19,250
By occupation transportation: 10,500
By occupation other: 3,500 (1985 est.)
Note: 175,000 workers (3.6% of the total work force) earn money wages; 4,725,000 workers receive no monetary wage (of these, 91% are engaged in subsistence agriculture)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $250 million
Expenditures: $265 million, including capital expenditures of $180 million (1991 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports
Total value: $493 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: coffee 45%, vanilla 20%, cloves, shellfish, sugar, petroleum products (1995 est.)
Partners: France 41%, US, Japan, Italy (1995)

Imports
Total value: $612 million (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: intermediate manufactures 30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 15%, consumer goods 14%, food 13% (1995 est.)
Partners: France 40%, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, US (1995)

Debt external: $4.4 billion (1996 est.)

Exchange rates: Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1 - 3,950 (November 1996), 3,974.9 (August 1996), 4,265.6 (1995), 3,067.3 (1994), 1,913.8 (1993), 1,864.0 (1992)

Electricity
Capacity: 208,000 kW (1991)
Production: 450 million kWh (1991)
Consumption per capita: 36 kWh (1992)

Telephones: 96,000 (1988 est.)

Telephone system: system is above average for Africa
Domestic: open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter links
International: submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean Region)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $29 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 1% (1994)

Airports: 105 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 58
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 21
With paved runways under 914 m: 31 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 47
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 45 (1996 est.)

Railways
Total: 883 km
Narrow gauge: 883 km 1.000-m gauge (1994)

Waterways: of local importance only; isolated streams and small portions of Canal des Pangalanes

Merchant marine
Total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,624 GRT/28,621 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 4, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas tanker 1, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2 (1996 est.)

Disputes international: claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, and Tromelin Island (all administered by France)

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin