 FACTS |
| Visa / Health Risk / Time / Electricity / Weights & Measures |
Visas: All visitors must get a visa before arriving or at the airport for a tourist visa (200 000 MFG). Visas are valid for up to three months from the date of entry.
Health risks: Malaria, bilharzia, hepatitis and diarrhoea.
Time: GMT/UTC +3 hours
Electricity: 110 to 220V; assume 220V when in doubt
Weights & measures: Metric
| When to Go? |
April to October (the southern winter) is the best time to go; you will miss the sticky southern summer (November to March), also known as hurricane season. But because Madagascar experiences wide climatic variation, the central highlands can still be pleasant during summer while the east coast gets most of its rain between June and September.
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S, 47 00 E
Map references: Africa
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
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 deep 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 highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m
Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 4% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 41% forests and woodland: 40% other: 14% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 10,870 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic cyclones
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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note: world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel
Population: 15,506,472 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (male 3,504,562; female 3,481,056) 15-64 years: 52% (male 3,964,564; female 4,052,056) 65 years and over: 3% (male 237,691; female 266,543) (2000 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.02% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 42.92 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 12.69 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 85.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.95 years male: 52.71 years female: 57.26 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.84 children born/woman (2000 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
Religions: indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%
Languages: French (official), Malagasy (official)
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
Data code: MA
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 Didier RATSIRAKA (since 10 February 1997)
Head of government: Prime Minister Tantely Rene Gabriot ANDRIANARIVO(since NA 1998)
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 December 2001);
Prime Minister appointed by the president from a list of candidates nominated by the National Assembly
Election results: Didier RATSIRAKA elected President in 1996; percent of vote - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 50.7%, Albert ZAFY (AFFA) 49.3%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (150 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 17 May 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - AREMA 63, LEADER/Fanilo 16, AVI 14, RPSD 11, AFFA 6, MFM 3, AKFM/Fanavaozana 3, GRAD/Iloafo 1, Fihaonana 1, independents 32
Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Suprême; 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 [Pierrot RAJAONARIVELO]; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence or AKFM/Fanavaozana [Pastor Richard ANDRIAMANJATO]; 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 [Tovonanahary RABETSITONTA]; Judged by Your Work or AVI [Norbert RATSIRAHONANA]; Movement for the Progress of Madagascar or MFM [Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA]; National Union for Development and Democracy or UNDD; Renewal of the Social Democratic Party or RPSD [Evariste MARSON]
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, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side
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