Madagascar
|
Madagascar (officially the "Republic of Madagascar") is a large island nation off the southeast coast of Africa (east of Mozambique) in the Indian Ocean. It is notable for its rich biodiversity. Madagascar is home to 5% of the world's known plant and animal species and 80% of these species are unique ("endemic") to the island.
Madagascar's major environmental issues include: soil erosion which results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; and many endangered species of flora and fauna that are unique to the island. It is susceptible to periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation.
Madagascar is world's fourth-largest island (after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo) and strategic location along the Mozambique Channel which separates it from the mainland of Africa. It has a narrow coastal plain, a high plateau and mountains in center.
Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896 but regained 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 Ravalomana, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced Ravalomana the winner. Ravalomana is now in his second term following a landslide victory in the generally free and fair presidential elections of 2006.
Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
Geographic Coordinates: 20 00 S, 47 00 E
Area: 587,040 km2 (581,540 km2 land and 5,500 km2 water)
arable land: 5.03%
permanent crops: 1.02%
other: 93.95% (2005)
Coastline: 4,828 km
Maritime Claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m isobath
Natural Hazards: periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation
Terrain: Narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center. Its highest point is Maromokotro (2,876 metres)
Climate: Tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south:
Government
Government Type: Republic
Capital: Antananarivo
Independence Date: 26 June 1960 (from France)
Legal System: based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
International Environmental Agreements
Madagascar is party to international agreements on Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, and Wetlands
People and Society
Population: 20,042,551 (July 2008 est.)
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 43.7% (male 4,408,615/female 4,349,862)
15-64 years: 53.2% (male 5,298,805/female 5,371,764)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 275,087/female 338,418) (2008 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 3.005% (2008 est.)
Birth rate: 38.38 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death Rate: 8.32 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net Migration Rate: NA
Life Expectancy at Birth: 62.52 years (2008 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 5.19 children born/woman (2008 est.)
Languages: English (official), French (official), Malagasy (official)
Literacy: 68.9% (2003 est.)
Water
Total Renewable Water Resources: 337 cu km (1984)
Freshwater Withdrawal: Total: 14.96 cu km/yr (3% domestic, 2% industrial, 96% agricultural). Per capita: 804 cu m/yr (2000)
Agriculture
Agricultural Products: coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products
Irrigated Land: 10,860 sq km (2003)
Resources
Natural Resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower.
Energy
| Energy in Madagascar | |||||
| Production | Consumption | Exports | Imports | Reserves | |
| Electricity | 1.046 billion kWh (2005) | 973.2 million kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) | |
| Oil | 92.18 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 17,000 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 363.9 bbl/day (2004) | 17,830 bbl/day (2004) | 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Natural Gas | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | 0 cu m (2005) | 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Source: CIA Factbook | |||||
Health
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)
Conflict
International Disputes: claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France)
Economy
Having discarded past socialist economic policies, Madagascar has since the mid 1990s followed a World Bank- and IMF-led policy of privatization and liberalization. This strategy placed the country on a slow and steady growth path from an extremely low level. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-fourth of GDP and employing 80% of the population. Exports of apparel have boomed in recent years primarily due to duty-free access to the US. Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by the use of firewood as the primary source of fuel, are serious concerns. President Ravalomanana has worked aggressively to revive the economy following the 2002 political crisis, which triggered a 12% drop in GDP that year. Poverty reduction and combating corruption will be the centerpieces of economic policy for the next few years.
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $18.12 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (Official Exchange Rate): $7.322 billion (2007 est.)
GDP- real growth rate: 6.3% (2007 est.)
GDP- per capita (PPP): $1,100 (2007 est.)
GDP- composition by sector:
agriculture: 26.8%
industry: 15.8%
services: 57.4% (2007 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line: 50% (2004 est.)
Industries: meat processing, seafood, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism
Exports: coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products
Export Partners: France 31.9%, US 26.7%, Germany 6.1%, UK 4.9%, Italy 4.4% (2006)
Imports: capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food
Import Partners: France 14%, China 13.4%, Iran 8.4%, Hong Kong 5.2%, Mauritius 5.2% (2006)
Economic Aid Recipient: $929.2 million (2005)
Currency: ariary (MGA)
Ports and Terminals: Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara.
Further Reading
Return to Madagascar's country profile
Return to the Africa Collection