1989 Edition

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Antananarivo

Climate

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Coastline

4,828 km

Communists

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

Comparative area

slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

Constitution

21 December 1975

Council

Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier Ratsiraka; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM); 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

Diplomatic representation

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

Disputes

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

Elections

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%; People's 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%, others 0.8%; seats— (137 total) AREMA 120, MFM 7, AKFM 5, VONJY 4, MONIMA 1, independent 1

Environment

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

Exclusive fishing zone

150 nm

Executive branch

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

Extended economic zone

200 nm

Flag

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

Independence

26 June 1960 (from France; formerly Malagasy Republic)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour Supreme), High Constitutional Court (Haute Cour Constitutionnelle)

Land boundaries

none

Land use

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

Leaders

Chief of State — President Adm. Didier RATSIRAKA (since 15 June 1975); Head of Government — Prime Minister Lt. Col. Victor RAMAHATRA (since 12 February 1988) Political parties and leaders: seven parties are now allowed limited political activity under the national front and are represented on the Supreme Revolutionary

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Popular National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire)

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, EAMA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Military manpower

males 15-49, 166,956; 93,221 fit for military service

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 June (1960)

Natural resources

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

Note

defense is responsibility of Portugal 300km Toamatm*] Indian ANTANANARIVO. / Ocean F»r»dof<v

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

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Terrain

narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Territorial sea

1 2 nm

Total area

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

Total area

TV; 75,000 radio receivers (est.); international high-frequency radio communication facility; access to international communications carriers provided via Hong Kong and China; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station Defense Forces

Type

republic

Birth rate

47 births/ 1,000 population (1990)

Death rate

15 deaths/ 1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic divisions

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 1 1,000 European French, 5,000 Indians of French nationality, and 5,000 Creoles

Infant mortality rate

97 deaths/ 1, 000 live births (1990)

Labor force

4,900,000; 90% nonsalaried family workers engaged in subsistence agriculture; 175,000 wage earners — 26% agriculture, 1 7% domestic service, 1 5% industry, 14% commerce, 1 1% construction, 9% services, 6% transportation, 2% other; 51% of population of working age (1985)

Language

French and Malagasy (official)

Life expectancy at birth

50 years male, 54 years female (1990)

Literacy

67.5%

Nationality

noun — Malagasy (sing, and pi.); adjective — Malagasy

Net migration rate

0 migrants/ 1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor

4% of labor force

Population

1 1,800,524 (July 1990), growth rate 3. 2% (1990)

Religion

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

Total fertility rate

6.9 children born/ woman (1990)

Long-form name

Democratic Republic of

Agriculture

accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops — coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa; food crops — rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts; cattle raising widespread; not self-sufficient in rice and wheat flour

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $118 million; Western (nonUS) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.6 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $491 million

Budget

revenues $337 million; expenditures $245 million, including capital expenditures of $163 million (1988)

Currency

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

Electricity

1 19,000 kW capacity; 430 million kWh produced, 40 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates

Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1— 1,53 1.0 (January 1990), 1603.4(1989), 1,407.1 (1988), 1,069.2 (1987), 676.3 (1986), 662.5 (1985)

Exports

$284 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— coffee 45%, vanilla 1 5%, cloves 11%, sugar, petroleum products; partners — France, Japan, Italy, FRG, US

External debt

$3.6 billion (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

$1.7 billion, per capita $155; real growth rate 2.2% (1988)

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$319 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities— intermediate manufactures 30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 1 5%, consumer goods 14%, food 13%; partners — France, FRG, UK, other EC, US

Industrial production

growth rate —3.9 % (1988)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

17.0% (1988)

Overview

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 85% of the labor force, and contributing more than 70% to export earnings. Industry is confined to the processing of agricultural products and textile manufacturing; in 1988 it contributed only 16% to GDP and employed 3% of the labor force. Industrial development has been hampered by government policies that have restricted imports of equipment and spare parts and put strict controls on foreign-owned enterprises. 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

NA%

Airports

147 total, 1 15 usable; 30 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 43 with runways 1,2202,439 m

Branches

Popular Army, Aeronaval Forces (includes Navy and Air Force), paramilitary Gendarmerie

Civil air

5 major transport aircraft

Defense expenditures

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

Highways

40,000 km total; 4,694 km paved, 8 1 1 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil, 34,495 km improved and unimproved earth (est.)

Inland waterways

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

Merchant marine

13 ships (',000 CRT or over) totaling 58,126 GRT/79,420 DWT; includes 8 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 liquefied gas

Military manpower

males 15-49, 2,550,775; 1,519,084 fit for military service; 1 16,438 reach military age (20) annually

Ports

Toamasina, Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toliara

Railroads

1 ,020 km 1 .000-meter gauge

Telecommunications

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