Republic of Madagascar

National name: Repoblikan'i Madagasikara

President: Marc Ravalomanana (2002)

Prime Minister: Jacques Sylla (2002)

Land area: 224,533 sq mi (581,540 sq km); total area: 226,657 sq mi (587,040 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 18,595,469 (growth rate: 3.0%); birth rate: 41.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 75.2/1000; life expectancy: 57.3; density per sq mi: 83

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Antananarivo, 1,390,800

Monetary unit: Malagasy franc

Languages: Malagasy and French (both official)

Ethnicity/race: Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Côtiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry: Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

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

Literacy rate: 69% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $15.85 billion; per capita $900. Real growth rate: 6%. Inflation: 10%. Unemployment: 5.9% (1998). Arable land: 5%. Agriculture: coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products. Labor force: 7.3 million (2000). Industries: meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism. Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower. Exports: $951 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products. Imports: $1.4 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food. Major trading partners: U.S., France, Germany, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Mauritius, South Africa (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 55,000 (2000); mobile cellular: 63,100 (2000). Radio broadcast stations: AM 2 (plus a number of repeater stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001). Radios: 3.05 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001). Televisions: 325,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000). Internet users: 35,000 (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 732 km (2002). Highways: total: 49,827 km; paved: 5,780 km; unpaved: 44,047 km (1999 est.). Waterways: of local importance only. Ports and harbors: Antsiranana, Antsohimbondrona, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara. Airports: 121 (2002).

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

 

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