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Communications

Airports [time series]

148 total, 115 usable; 30 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

5 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

40,000 km total; 4,694 km paved, 811 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, 34,495 km improved and unimproved earth (est.)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,416 GRT/82,869 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas

Ports [time series]

Toamasina, Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toliara

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

1,020 km 1.000-meter gauge

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

above average system includes open-wire lines, coaxial cables, radio relay, and troposcatter links; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT; over 38,200 telephones; stations--14 AM, 1 FM, 7 (30 repeaters) TV

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Popular Armed Forces (includes Intervention Forces, Development Forces, Aeronaval Forces--includes Navy and Air Force), Gendarmerie, Presidential Security Regiment

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$37 million, 2.2% of GDP (1989 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 2,637,866; 1,570,393 fit for military service; 119,882 reach military age (20) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops--coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa; food crops--rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts; cattle raising widespread; almost self-sufficient in rice

Budget [time series]

revenues $390 million; expenditures $525 million, including capital expenditures of $240 million (1990 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Malagasy franc (plural--francs); 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $136 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $2.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $491 million

Electricity [time series]

119,000 kW capacity; 430 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1--1,454.6 (December 1990), 1,494.1 (1990), 1,603.4 (1989), 1,407.1 (1988), 1,069.2 (1987), 676.3 (1986), 662.5 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$290 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--coffee 45%, vanilla 15%, cloves 11%, sugar, petroleum products; partners--France, Japan, Italy, FRG, US

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$3.6 billion (1989)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$2.4 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate 3.8% (1990 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption

Imports [time series]

$436 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.); commodities--intermediate manufactures 30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 15%, consumer goods 14%, food 13%; partners--France, FRG, UK, other EC, US

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 5.2% (1990 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP

Industries [time series]

agricultural processing (meat canneries, soap factories, breweries, tanneries, sugar refining plants), light consumer goods industries (textiles, glassware), cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

12% (1990)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. During the period 1980-85 it had a population growth of 3% a year and a - 0.4% GDP growth rate. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is the mainstay of the economy, accounting for over 40% of GDP, employing about 80% of the labor force, and contributing to more than 70% of total export earnings. Industry is largely confined to the processing of agricultural products and textile manufacturing; in 1990 it accounted for only 16% of GDP and employed 3% of the labor force. In 1986 the government introduced a five-year development plan that stresses self-sufficiency in food (mainly rice) by 1990, increased production for exports, and reduced energy imports.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Climate [time series]

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Coastline [time series]

4,828 km Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to periodic cyclones; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

arable land 4%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 58%; forest and woodland 26%; other 11%; includes irrigated 2%

Natural resources [time series]

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

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Area (Total area) [time series]

587,040 km2; land area: 581,540 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

6 provinces (plural--NA, singular--faritanin); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

Capital [time series]

Antananarivo

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

Communist party of virtually no importance; small and vocal group of Communists has gained strong position in leadership of AKFM, the rank and file of which is non-Communist

Constitution [time series]

21 December 1975

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO; Chancery at 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-5525 or 5526; there is a Malagasy Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Howard K. WALKER; Embassy at 14 and 16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo (mailing address is B. P. 620, Antananarivo); telephone 212-57, 209-56, 200-89, 207-18

Executive branch [time series]

president, Supreme Council of the Revolution, prime minister, Council of Ministers

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

26 June 1960 (from France; formerly Malagasy Republic)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme), High Constitutional Court (Haute Cour Constitutionnelle) Chief of State--President Adm. Didier RATSIRAKA (since 15 June 1975); Head of Government--Prime Minister Guy RASANAMAZY (since 8 August 1991)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Popular National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Democratic Republic of Madagascar

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 26 June (1960)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

a presidential decree issued early last year, legalized the existence of political parties outside of the Ruling Front; some thirty political parties now exist in Madagascar, the most important of which are the Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier RATSIRAKA; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM), RAKOTOVAO-ANDRIATIANA; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence-Revival (AKFM-R), Pastor Richard ANDRIAMANJATO; Movement for National Unity (VONJY), Dr. Marojama RAZANABAHINY; Malagasy Christian Democratic Union (UDECMA), Norbert ANDRIAMORASATA; Militants for the Establishment of a Proletarian Regime (MFM), Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA; National Movement for the Independence of Madagascar (MONIMA), Monja JAONA; Socialist Organization Monima (VSM, an offshoot of MONIMA), Tsihozony MAHARANGA

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 President--last held on 12 March 1989 (next to be held March 1996); results--Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 62%, Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA (MFM/MFT) 20%, Dr. Jerome Marojama RAZANABAHINY (VONJY) 15%, Monja JAONA (MONIMA) 3%; Popular National Assembly--last held on 28 May 1989 (next to be held May 1994); results--AREMA 88.2%, MFM 5.1%, AKFM 3.7%, VONJY 2.2%, other 0.8%; seats--(137 total) AREMA 120, MFM 7, AKFM 5, VONJY 4, MONIMA 1

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

47 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

15 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

basic split between highlanders of predominantly Malayo-Indonesian origin (Merina 1,643,000 and related Betsileo 760,000) on the one hand and coastal tribes, collectively termed the Cotiers, with mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry (Betsimisaraka 941,000, Tsimihety 442,000, Antaisaka 415,000, Sakalava 375,000), on the other; there are also 11,000 European French, 5,000 Indians of French nationality, and 5,000 Creoles

Infant mortality rate [time series]

95 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

4,900,000; 90% nonsalaried family workers engaged in subsistence agriculture; 175,000 wage earners--agriculture 26%, domestic service 17%, industry 15%, commerce 14%, construction 11%, services 9%, transportation 6%, other 2%; 51% of population of working age (1985)

Languages (Language) [time series]

French and Malagasy (official)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

51 years male, 54 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

80% (male 88%, female 73%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Malagasy (sing. and pl.); adjective--Malagasy

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

4% of labor force

Population [time series]

12,185,318 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

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

Total fertility rate [time series]

6.9 children born/woman (1991)