Madagascar
Background Information
- Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896, but regained its independence in 1960.
- During 1992-93, free presidential and National Assembly elections were held, ending 17 years of single-party rule.
- In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was returned to the presidency.
- The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country.
- In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner.
Overview
| Capital | Antananarivo |
| Currency | Malagasy Ariary (MGA) |
| Major Ethnic Groups |
Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran |
| Main Languages | French (official), Malagasy (official) |
| Location: | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique |
| Geographic coordinates: | 20 00 S, 47 00 E |
| Area: |
total: 587,040 sq km land: 581,540 sq km water: 5,500 sq k |
| Coastline: | 4,828 km |
| Climate: | tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in sout |
| Terrain: | narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center |
| Natural resources: | graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower |
| Land use: | arable land: 5.03% permanent crops: 1.02% other: 93.95% (2005) |
| Natural hazards: | periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation |
| Environment - current issues: | soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel. |
Media overview:
| Newspapers: | 7 daily papers and a number of weeklies |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2 (plus a number of repeater stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001) - 7 stations in total Radios: 3.05 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 3 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001) |
| Televisions: | 325,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .mg |
| Internet hosts: | 9,734 (2007) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 110,000 (2006) |
Press:
- Newspapers such as The Madagascar Matin, the Midi-Madagasikara and the Hebdo-Publicite accept advertisements. Madagascar Matin, Midi-Madagasikara are read by a large percentage of the population.
- Magazines are read by limited number of people in the political, economic and commercial spheres of readership. They represent about 5 to 10 % of the population.
Advertising expenditures devoted to the various media segments:
Population
| Population | 19,448,815 (July 2007 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 43.9% (male 4,297,985/female 4,243,369) 15-64 years: 53% (male 5,117,874/female 5,190,032) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 270,411/female 329,144) (2007 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: | English (official), French (official), Malagasy (official) |
| Population growth rate: | 3.008% (2007 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 38.6 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Death rate: | 8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 1.7% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 140,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 7,500 (2003 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases: | degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: chikungunya, malaria, and plague water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008) |
| Literacy: Age 15 and over that can read or write | |
|---|---|
| Total Population | 80 % |
| Male | 88% |
| Female | 73% |
Sovereignty
| Government | Republic |
| Constitution | 19 August 1992 by national referendum |
| Legal System | based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
| Chief of State | President Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May 2002) |
| Head of Government | Prime Minister Charles RABEMANANJARA (25 January 2007) |
| Elections | President elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 3 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011); prime minister appointed by the president |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister |
| Prime Minister | Prime Minister Charles RABEMANANJARA |
Banking And Business
| Overview | Having discarded past socialist economic policies, Madagascar has since the mid 1990s followed a World Bank- and IMF-led policy of privatization and liberalization. |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 6.3% (2007 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $1,000 (2007 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 27.3% industry: 15.8% services: 56.8% (2007 est.) |
| Labor force: | 7.3 million (2000) |
| Population below poverty line: | 50% (2004 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 36.6% (2001) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 10% (2007 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | 26.3% of GDP (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products |
| Industries: | meat processing, seafood, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism |
| Exports - commodities: | coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products |
| Imports - commodities: | capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food |
| Economic aid - recipient: | $929.2 million (2005) |
| Electricity | Production: 984 million kWh (2004) Production by Source: fossil fuel: 36.1%, hydro: 63.9%, nuclear: 0%, other: 0% (2001) Consumption: 915.1 million kWh (2004) Exports: 0 kWh (2004) Imports: 0 kWh (2004) |
| Transportation | Railways: total: 854 km narrow gauge: 854 km 1.000-m gauge (2006) Roadways: Total: 49,827 km Paved: 5,780 km Unpaved: 44,047 km (1999) |
| Air Transport | 116 (2006) Paved Runways: 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 (2006) |
| Economy | Economic aid - recipient: $354 million (2001) |
| Major trading partners | France, US, China, Iran, Mauritius, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, UK |
Media overview
| Newspapers: | 7 daily papers and a number of weeklies |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 2 (plus a number of repeater stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001) - 7 stations in total Radios: 3.05 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 3 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001) |
| Televisions: | 325,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .mg |
| Internet hosts: | 9,734 (2007) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 110,000 (2006) |
Press
- Newspapers such as The Madagascar Matin, the Midi-Madagasikara and the Hebdo-Publicite accept advertisements. Madagascar Matin, Midi-Madagasikara are read by a large percentage of the population.
- Magazines are read by limited number of people in the political, economic and commercial spheres of readership. They represent about 5 to 10 % of the population.
Schooling And Holidays
| Public Holidays |
1 Jan New Year's Day 24 Mar Easter Monday 29 Mar Commemoration of the 1947 Rebellion 1 May Labour Day 1 May Ascension Day 26 Jun Independence Day 15 Aug Assumption Day 1 Nov All Saints' Day 25 Dec Christmas Day |
Images
Media
Tv Stations
- Radio-Television Malagasy
- Radio-Television Analamanga
- Madagascar TV
Radio Stations
- Radio Lazan Iarivo
- Radio Korail
- Radio Antsiva
- Malagasy Nation Radio (RNM)
- Radio Don Bosco
- Radio Feon’ny Merina
- Radio Tsioka Vao
Magazines
- Madagascar Magazine
- Mad
- Jureco
- Revise de l'Ocean Indiea
- Dans les Media Demain
- Bulletin de la Fiv,
- Bulletin de la Chambre de Commerce,
- D'Commerce,
- d'Industrie, et D'Agriculture
| The following Magazines accept advertising: |
Revise de l'Ocean Indiea, Dans les Media Demain, Bulletin de la Fiv, Bulletin de la Chambre de Commerce, D'Commerce, d'Industrie, et D'Agriculture |
Newspapers
- Madagascar Matin - French
- Midi-Madagasikara - Malagasy
- The Madagascar Tribune - English
- L’Express - French
- Maresaka
- Basy – Vaovao
- Imongo
Outdoor Media
Country Data
News
Agency Scope Insights: Deep, decisive and digital
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Date : 06 Apr 2021
