Country name:

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

Government type:

republic

Capital:

Antananarivo

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

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 from a list of candidates nominated by the National Assembly
election results: percent of vote - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 40.89%, Marc RAVALOMANANA 46.21%; note - on 29 April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner by 51.5% after a recount; RATSIRIKA's prime minister was put under house arrest on 27 May 2002, and SYLLA was appointed the new prime minister by President RAVALOMANANA

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (160 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - the legislature is scheduled to become a bicameral Parliament with the establishment of a Senate; two-thirds of the seats of this Senate will be filled by regional assemblies whose members will be elected by popular vote; the remaining one-third of the seats will be appointed by the president; the total number of seats will be determined by the National Assembly; 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, TTS 2, HBM 1, independents 22

Judicial branch:

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

Political parties and leaders:

Action, Truth, Development, and Harmony or AFFA [Professor Albert ZAFY]; Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA [leader vacant]; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence or AKFM/Fanavaozana [leader NA]; Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National Recovery or LEADER/Fanilo [Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO]; Fihaonana Rally or Fihaonana [Guy RAZANAMASY]; Group of Reflection and Action for the Development of Madagascar or GRAD/Iloafo; Judged by Your Work or AVI [Norbert RATSIRAHONANA]; Movement for the Progress of Madagascar or MFM [Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA]; Renewal of the Social Democratic Party or RPSD [Evariste MARSON]; Tranobe (Big House) [Ny Hasina ANDRIAMANJATO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Federalist Movement; National Council of Christian Churches or FFKM

International organization participation:

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), 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 Zina ANDRIANARIVELO-RAZAFY
consulate(s) general: New York
FAX: [1] (202) 483-7603
telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526
chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

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

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 faces problems of 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 one-third of GDP and contributing more than 70% to export earnings. Industry features textile manufacturing and the processing of agricultural products. Growth in output in 1992-97 averaged less than the growth rate of the population. Growth has been held back by antigovernment strikes and demonstrations, a decline in world coffee prices, and the erratic commitment of the government to economic reform. The extent of government reforms, outside financial aid, and foreign investment will be key determinants of future growth.

GDP:

purchasing power parity - $14 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

5% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:

purchasing power parity - $870 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 34%
industry: 11%
services: 55% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line:

70% (1994 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 37% (1997)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

46 (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

7% (2001 est.)

Labor force:

7 million (1999) (1999)

Budget:

revenues: $553 million
expenditures: $735 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)

Industries:

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

Industrial production growth rate:

3% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:

820 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 37%
hydro: 63%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption:

762.6 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports:

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products:

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

Exports:

$680 million f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities:

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

Exports - partners:

France 41%, US 21%, Germany 7%, Japan 4%, UK 1% (2000)

Imports:

$919 million f.o.b. (2000)

Imports - commodities:

intermediate manufactures, capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food

Imports - partners:

France 38%, Hong Kong 10%, China 5%, Singapore 5%, Japan 3%

Debt - external:

$4.5 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:

$838 million (1997) (1997)

Currency:

Malagasy franc (MGF)

Currency code:

MGF

Exchange rates:

Malagasy francs per US dollar - 6,531.4 (December 2001), 6,588.5 (2001), 6,767.5 (2000), 6,283.8 (1999), 5,441.4 (1998), 5,090.9 (1997)

Highways:

total: 49,837 km
paved: 5,781 km
unpaved: 44,056 km (1996)

Ports and harbors:

Antsiranana, Antsohimbondrona, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

Merchant marine:

total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,199 GRT/37,462 DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2 (2002 est.)

Airports:

130 (2001)

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 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 92
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 46
under 914 m: 44 (2002)