Madagascar
Country Guide

Explore Madagascar

Madagascar with its capital Antananarivo is located in Africa (Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean). It covers some 587,042 square kilometers (almost four times the size of Georgia) with 25,054,200 citizens. French and Malagasy are the common languages used in Madagascar. Thiscountry has no land-based border with any other country.

Madagascar is a country that occupies a large island of the same name, located in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa. It is the fourth largest island in the world. Avenue of the Baobabs is an extra-ordinary stand of huge baobab trees. Located 45 minutes north of Morondava on Madagascar's west coast it is one of the most visited sites in the Menabe Region. The eastern, or windward side of the island is home to tropical rainforests, while the western and southern sides, which lie in the rain shadow of the central highlands, are home to tropical dry forests, thorn forests, and deserts and xeric shrublands.

Popular Destinations in Madagascar

Administrative regions of Madagascar

• Alaotra Mangoro Region
• Amoron'i Mania Region
• Analamanga Region
• Analanjirofo Region
• Androy Region
• Anosy Region
• Atsimo-Andrefana Region
• Atsimo-Atsinanana
• Atsinanana Region
• Betsiboka Region
• Boeny Region
• Bongolava Region
• Diana Region
• Haute Matsiatra Region
• Ihorombe Region
• Itasy Region
• Melaky Region
• Menabe Region
• Sava Region
• Sofia Region
• Vakinankaratra Region
• Vatovavy Fitovinany Region

About the country

The topography is narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center. The average density of population is about 43 per km². The climate in Madagascar can be described as tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south. Potential natural disasters are and locust infestation, drought, Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in historical times and periodic cyclones.

To reach someone Madagascar dial +261 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".mg". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, E). The sign for the locally used currency Ariary is MGA.

Two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side; by tradition, red stands for sovereignty, green for hope, white for purity.

Madagascar was one of the last major landmasses on earth to be colonized by humans. The earliest settlers from present-day Indonesia arrived between A.D. 350 and 550. The island attracted Arab and Persian traders as early as the 7th century, and migrants from Africa arrived around A.D. 1000. Madagascar was a pirate stronghold during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and served as a slave trading center into the 19th century. From the 16th to the late 19th century, a native Merina Kingdom dominated much of Madagascar. The island was conquered by the French in 1896 who made it a colony; independence was regained 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. RAVALOMANANA won a second term in 2006 but, following protests in 2009, handed over power to the military, which then conferred the presidency on the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA, in what amounted to a coup d'etat. Following a lengthy mediation process led by the Southern African Development Community, Madagascar held UN-supported presidential and parliamentary elections in 2013. Former de facto finance minister Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA won a runoff election in December 2013 and was inaugurated in January 2014.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 47)	587,041	sq km
Land (World Rank: 44)	581,540	sq km
Water (World Rank: 65)	5,501	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 16)	64.10	%
Comparative	almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Coastline
4828
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 78)	2,876	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 23)	71.10	%
Arable (World Rank: 145)	6.00	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 123)	1.00	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 16)	64.10	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 44)	10,860	sq km
Map reference
Africa
Environment
Issues	- desertification - several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island - soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing - surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes
Agreement party	- 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
Hazzards	- and locust infestation - drought - Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in historical times - periodic cyclones
Location
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
Climate
tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Terrain
narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 52)	25,054,200
Deathrate (World Rank: 142)	0.65	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 33)	3.16	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 19)	2.50	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 32)	4.03	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 193)	19.50
Female (World Rank: 196)	19.90
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 39)	5,035,160
0 14 female (World Rank: 39)	4,952,910
15 24 male (World Rank: 46)	2,556,130
15 24 female (World Rank: 46)	2,538,640
25 54 male (World Rank: 55)	4,022,700
25 54 female (World Rank: 56)	4,025,040
55 64 male (World Rank: 67)	535,300
55 64 female (World Rank: 67)	560,932
65 x male (World Rank: 76)	374,770
65 x female (World Rank: 77)	452,580
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 45)	4.12	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 172)	66	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 174)	68	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 168)	65	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 158)	0.14
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 180)	0.20
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 205)	12.00	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 178)	5.30	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 200)	51.50	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 144)	1,508,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 149)	1,402,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 98)	73.90	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 75)	24.50	%
Source renew (World Rank: 122)	1.80	%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 149)	15,000	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 129)	15,230	bbl / day
Carbon footprint
3000000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 162)	2	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 140)	1	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 181)	3	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 136)	-4	% of GDP
National symbol
zebu
National colours
white
Adjective
Malagasy
Noun
Malagasy (singular and plural)
Background
Madagascar was one of the last major landmasses on earth to be colonized by humans. The earliest settlers from present-day Indonesia arrived between A.D. 350 and 550. The island attracted Arab and Persian traders as early as the 7th century, and migrants from Africa arrived around A.D. 1000. Madagascar was a pirate stronghold during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and served as a slave trading center into the 19th century. From the 16th to the late 19th century, a native Merina Kingdom dominated much of Madagascar. The island was conquered by the French in 1896 who made it a colony; independence was regained 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. RAVALOMANANA won a second term in 2006 but, following protests in 2009, handed over power to the military, which then conferred the presidency on the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA, in what amounted to a coup d'etat. Following a lengthy mediation process led by the Southern African Development Community, Madagascar held UN-supported presidential and parliamentary elections in 2013. Former de facto finance minister Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA won a runoff election in December 2013 and was inaugurated in January 2014.
Flag description
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side; by tradition, red stands for sovereignty, green for hope, white for purity

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 118)	37,500,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 58)	4.20	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 215)	1,500	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 35)	24.00	%
Source industry (World Rank: 174)	15.70	%
Source service (World Rank: 122)	60.20	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 43)	12,610,000
In poverty (World Rank: 3)	70.70	%
Products
Industries	- automobile assembly plant - beer - cement - glassware - leather - meat processing - mining - paper - petroleum - seafood - soap - sugar - textiles - tourism
Agriculture	- bananas - beans - cassava - cloves - cocoa - coffee - livestock products - manioc - peanuts - rice - sugarcane - tapioca - vanilla
Exports	- chromite - clothing - coffee - cotton cloth - petroleum products - shellfish - sugar - vanilla
Imports	- capital goods - consumer goods - food - petroleum

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 130)	148,585
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 193)	1.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 205)	43.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 129)	1,151,560
Population (World Rank: 217)	4.70	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 64)	26.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 56)	57.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 96)	836
Road
Total length (World Rank: 92)	37,476
Paved length (World Rank: 94)	6,103
Unpaved length (World Rank: 49)	31,373
Water
Total length (World Rank: 80)	600

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