Madagascar

Location

• Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
• world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel; despite Madagascar’s close proximity to the African continent, ocean currents isolate the island, resulting in high rates of endemic plant and animal species; approximately 90% of the flora and fauna on the island are found nowhere else

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Antananarivo	1,349,501	Capital
Toamasina	345,107
Antsirabe	260,907
Mahajanga	260,556
Fianarantsoa	203,105
Toliara	178,725
Antsiranana	136,959
Sambava	89,003
Imerintsiatosika	74,085
Antalaha	71,898

Size

• 226,656 square miles
• 587,040 square kilometers
• almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

History

Madagascar was one of the last major habitable landmasses on earth to be settled by humans. While there is some evidence of human presence on the island in the millennia B.C., large-scale settlement began between A.D. 350 and 550 with settlers from present-day Indonesia. 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 French conquered the island in 1896 and made it a colony; independence was regained in 1960. Free presidential and National Assembly elections were held in 1992-93, ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing half the country to secede. In 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. He 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. After a lengthy mediation process, Madagascar held UN-supported presidential and parliamentary elections in 2013. Former de facto finance minister Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA won in a runoff and was inaugurated in 2014. In 2019, RAJOELINA was declared the winner against RAVALOMANANA. In 2023, RAJOELINA won another term in an election that most of the opposition boycotted, including RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA and RAVALOMANANA, who claimed it was rigged in favor of RAJOELINA. International observers, however, saw no evidence of systemic fraud, leading the international community to accept the election results.

Climate

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Terrain

narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Languages

Malagasy (official) 99.9%, French (official) 23.6%, English 8.2%, other 0.6% (2018 est.)note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

Religions

Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/Malagasy Lutheran Church/Anglican Church 34%, Roman Catholic 32.3%, other Christian 8.1%, traditional/Animist 1.7%, Muslim 1.4%, other 0.6%, none 21.9% (2021 est.)

Government

semi-presidential republic

• Constitution: history: previous 1992; latest passed by referendum 17 November 2010, promulgated 11 December 2010amendment process: proposed by the president of the republic in consultation with the cabinet or supported by a least two thirds of both the Senate and National Assembly membership; passage requires at least three-fourths approval of both the Senate and National Assembly and approval in a referendum; constitutional articles, including the form and powers of government, the sovereignty of the state, and the autonomy of Madagascar’s collectivities, cannot be amended
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law system based on the old French civil code and customary law in matters of marriage, family, and obligation
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Andry RAJOELINA (since 16 December 2023)head of government: Prime Minister Christian NTSAY (since 6 June 2018)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime ministerelection/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly, appointed by the presidentmost recent election date: 16 November 2023election results: 2023: Andry RAJOELINA reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Andry RAJOELINA (TGV) 59.0%, Siteny Thierry RANDRIANASOLONIAIKO 14.4%, Marc RAVALOMANANA (TIM) 12.1%, other 14.5%2018: Andry RAJOELINA elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Andry RAJOELINA (TGV) 39.2%, Marc RAVALOMANANA (TIM) 35.4%, other 25.4%; percent of vote in second round - Andry RAJOELINA 55.7%, Marc RAVALOMANANA 44.3%expected date of next election: November 2028
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Suprême (consists of 11 members; addresses judicial administration issues only); High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 9 members); High Court of Justice (consists of 11 members; addresses cases brought against the president of Madagascar and senior officials for high treason, grave violations of the Constitution, or breach of duties incompatible with the exercise of the presidential mandate)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court heads elected by the president and judiciary officials to serve 3-year, single renewable terms; High Constitutional Court members appointed - 3 each by the president, by both legislative bodies, and by the Council of Magistrates; members serve single, 7-year terms; High Court of Justice members include: first president of the Supreme Court; 2 presidents from the Court of Cassation; 2 presidents from the Court of Appeal; 2 deputies  from the National Assembly; 2 senators from the Senate; 2 members from the High Council for the Defense of Democracy and the State of lawsubordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Court of Cassation; Courts of First Instance; military courts; traditional courts (dina); Trade Court
• Legislative Branch: legislative structure: bicameral

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• low-income East African island economy; natural resource rich; extreme poverty; return of political stability has helped growth; sharp tax revenue drop due to COVID-19; leading vanilla producer; environmentally fragile
• Budget: revenues: $2.066 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $2.876 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
• Industries: meat processing, seafood, soap, beer, leather, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism, mining
• Agricultural Products: rice, sugarcane, cassava, sweet potatoes, milk, bananas, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, maize, potatoes (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 70.3% (2022 est.)arable land: 5.2% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 1% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 64.1% (2022 est.)forest: 21.3% (2022 est.)other: 8.4% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, rice, fabric, cotton fabric, wheat (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: China 19%, Oman 13%, France 10%, India 8%, South Africa 5% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: garments, nickel, vanilla, cloves, gold (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: USA 16%, France 15%, Japan 8%, China 6%, S. Korea 6% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports