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.

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique

20 00 S, 47 00 E

Africa

almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

0 km

4,828 km

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m

graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

arable land 6%; permanent crops 1%; permanent pasture 64.1%

10,860 sq km (2012)

most of population lives on the eastern half of the island; significant clustering is found in the central highlands and eastern coastline

periodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation

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

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

25,054,161 (July 2017 est.)

Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

French (official), Malagasy (official), English

Christian, indigenous religionist, Muslim

Madagascar’s youthful population – just over 60% are under the age of 25 – and high total fertility rate of more than 4 children per women ensures that the Malagasy population will continue its rapid growth trajectory for the foreseeable future. The population is predominantly rural and poor; chronic malnutrition is prevalent, and large families are the norm. Many young Malagasy girls are withdrawn from school, marry early (often pressured to do so by their parents), and soon begin having children. Early childbearing, coupled with Madagascar’s widespread poverty and lack of access to skilled health care providers during delivery, increases the risk of death and serious health problems for young mothers and their babies.

Child marriage perpetuates gender inequality and is prevalent among the poor, the uneducated, and rural households – as of 2013, of Malagasy women aged 20 to 24, more than 40% were married and more than a third had given birth by the age of 18. Although the legal age for marriage is 18, parental consent is often given for earlier marriages or the law is flouted, especially in rural areas that make up nearly 65% of the country. Forms of arranged marriage whereby young girls are married to older men in exchange for oxen or money are traditional. If a union does not work out, a girl can be placed in another marriage, but the dowry paid to her family diminishes with each unsuccessful marriage.

Madagascar’s population consists of 18 main ethnic groups, all of whom speak the same Malagasy language. Most Malagasy are multi-ethnic, however, reflecting the island’s diversity of settlers and historical contacts (see Background). Madagascar’s legacy of hierarchical societies practicing domestic slavery (most notably the Merina Kingdom of the 16th to the 19th century) is evident today in persistent class tension, with some ethnic groups maintaining a caste system. Slave descendants are vulnerable to unequal access to education and jobs, despite Madagascar’s constitutional guarantee of free compulsory primary education and its being party to several international conventions on human rights. Historical distinctions also remain between central highlanders and coastal people.

2.5% (2017 est.)

31.6 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

6.5 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

most of population lives on the eastern half of the island; significant clustering is found in the central highlands and eastern coastline

ANTANANARIVO (capital) 2.61 million (2015)

19.5 years

353 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

4.03 children born/woman (2017 est.)

39.9% (2008/09)

3% of GDP (2014)

0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2012)

0.2 beds/1,000 population (2010)

urban: 81.6% of population

rural: 35.3% of population

total: 51.5% of population

urban: 18.4% of population

rural: 64.7% of population

total: 48.5% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 18% of population

rural: 8.7% of population

total: 12% of population

urban: 82% of population

rural: 91.3% of population

total: 88% of population (2015 est.)

0.2% (2016 est.)

31,000 (2016 est.)

1,600 (2016 est.)

5.3% (2016)

2.1% of GDP (2013)

semi-presidential republic

6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

26 June 1960 (from France)

Independence Day, 26 June (1960)

civil law system based on the old French civil code and customary law in matters of marriage, family, and obligation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

AVANA Party [Jean-Louis ROBINSON]

Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National Recovery/LEADER-Fanilo [Manasse ESOAVELOMANDROSO]

Green Party/Parti Vert or AMHM [Sarah Georget RABEHARISOA]

I Love Madagascar (Tiako I Madagaskara) or TIM [Marc RAVALOMANANA]

National Unity, Freedom, and Development or FFF [Benjamin RADAVIDSON Andriamparany]

New Forces for Madagascar (Hery Vaovao ho an'i Madagaskara) or HVM [Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA]

Parti Hiaraka Isika or PHI [Albert Camille VITAL]

Pillar of Madagascar or AIM [Andry RAKOTOVAO]

Ravalomanana Movement or MR

Sambo Fiaran'i Noe or SFN

Union Party or Tambatra [Pety RAKOTONIAINA]

Vondrona Politika Miara dia Malagasy Miara Miainga or VPM MMM [Milavonjy ANDRIASY]

With the President Andry RAJOELIN (Miaraka Amin'ny Prezida Andry Rajoelina) or MAPAR [Andry RAJOELINA]

Committee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR

Committee for National Reconciliation or CRN

National Council of Christian Churches or FFKM

ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

traveller's palm, zebu; national colors: red, green, white

Madagascar is a free market economy with many untapped natural resources, but no capital markets, a weak judicial system, poorly enforced contracts, and rampant government corruption. The economy faces long-term challenges to improve education, healthcare, and the environment. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the economy, accounting for more than one-fourth of GDP and employing roughly 80% of the population. Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by bushfire and the use of firewood as the primary source of fuel, are serious concerns.

After discarding socialist economic policies in the mid-1990s, Madagascar followed a World Bank- and IMF-led policy of privatization and liberalization until the onset of a political crisis, which lasted from 2009 to 2013. The free market strategy had placed the country on a slow and steady growth path from an extremely low starting point. Exports of apparel boomed after gaining duty-free access to the US in 2000; however, Madagascar's failure to comply with the requirements of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) led to the termination of the country's duty-free access in January 2010, a sharp fall in textile production, and a loss of more than 100,000 jobs.

Madagascar regained AGOA access in January 2015 following the democratic election of a new president the previous year. In November 2015, the IMF approved a Rapid Credit Facility to Madagascar worth about $42.1 million to help the government meet its balance of payments needs. The IMF judged that Madagascar had demonstrated satisfactory performance on macroeconomic performance and structural reforms, and in mid-2016 approved another $304 million extended credit facility for the country. GDP growth is expected around 2.8% per year in 2016-17, due to underperformance in agriculture.

$37.5 billion (2016 est.)

$35.54 billion (2015 est.)

$34.1 billion (2014 est.)

$10 billion (2016 est.)

4.2% (2016 est.)

3.1% (2015 est.)

3.3% (2014 est.)

$1,500 (2016 est.)

$1,500 (2015 est.)

$1,500 (2014 est.)

16% of GDP (2016 est.)

11.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

15.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products

meat processing, seafood, soap, beer, leather, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism, mining

4.6% (2016 est.)

12.61 million (2016 est.)

2.1% (2016 est.)

70.7% (2012 est.)

41 (2012)

46.9 (2001)

12.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

-4.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

42.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

35.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

calendar year

6.7% (2016 est.)

7.4% (2015 est.)

8.3% (31 December 2016)

8.7% (31 December 2015)

62% (31 December 2016 est.)

60% (31 December 2015 est.)

$849.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.375 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.793 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$2.243 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.746 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.645 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$NA

$75 million (2016 est.)

$-67.4 million (2015 est.)

$2.196 billion (2016 est.)

$2.185 billion (2015 est.)

coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth, clothing, chromite, petroleum products

France 23.5%, US 12.8%, Germany 8.3%, China 6.3%, Japan 5%, Netherlands 4.3%, South Korea 4.2% (2016)

$2.857 billion (2016 est.)

$2.688 billion (2015 est.)

capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food

China 21.2%, France 6.9%, India 6.5%, UAE 5.6%, Saudi Arabia 5%, South Africa 5% (2016)

$1.184 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$832 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$3.425 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$2.985 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$6.461 billion (2014 est.)

$6.462 billion (2013 est.)

$NA

Malagasy ariary (MGA) per US dollar -

3,176.5 (2016 est.)

3,176.5 (2015 est.)

2,933.5 (2014 est.)

2,414.8 (2013 est.)

2,195 (2012 est.)

1.508 billion kWh (2015 est.)

1.402 billion kWh (2015 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

m 668,200 kW (2015 est.)

73.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

24.5% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

1.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

15,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

15,230 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

2.01 billion cu m (1 January 2012 es)

3 million Mt (2013 est.)

state-owned Radio Nationale Malagasy (RNM) and Television Malagasy (TVM) have an extensive national network reach; privately owned radio and TV broadcasters in cities and major towns; state-run radio dominates in rural areas; relays of 2 international broadcasters are available in Antananarivo (2007)

.mg

5R (2016)

83 (2013)

600 km (432 km navigable) (2011)

0.59% of GDP (2016)

0.6% of GDP (2015)

0.65% of GDP (2014)

0.68% of GDP (2013)

0.69% of GDP (2012)

People's Armed Forces: Intervention Force, Development Force, Navy, Air Force (2014)

18-25 years of age for male-only mix of voluntary and conscripted military service; women are not conscripted but can volunteer for all services except the Navy; service obligation is 18 months for military or equivalent civil service; 20-30 years of age for National Gendarmerie recruits and 35 years of age for those with military experience (2017)

claims Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island (all administered by France); the vegetated drying cays of Banc du Geyser, which were claimed by Madagascar in 1976, also fall within the EEZ claims of the Comoros and France (Glorioso Islands, part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands)

illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for domestic consumption; transshipment point for heroin