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1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)
Madagascar
    n 1: a republic on the island of Madagascar; achieved
         independence from France in 1960 [syn: Madagascar,
         Republic of Madagascar, Malagasy Republic]
    2: an island in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of
       Africa; the 4th largest island in the world

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Madagascar \Mad`a*gas"car\ (m[a^]d`[.a]*g[a^]s"k[~e]r) prop. n.
   An island in the Indian Ocean, about 240 miles off the
   southeast coast of Africa, governed as a single country, the
   Republic of Madagascar. It is the world's fourth-largest
   island, with a total area of 587,040 sq km, with 4,828 km of
   coastline. Once a French colony, it gained independence from
   France in 1960. The name of the government after independence
   was the Malagasy Republic.
   [PJC]

         Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a
         French colony in 1886, but regained its 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 Population:
         is 15,982,563 (July 2001 est.) The highest point is
         Maromokotro, at 2,876 m. Natural resources are:
         graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar
         sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, and hydropower.
                                                  --CIA World
                                                  Factbook
   [PJC]

3. CIA World Factbook 2002
Madagascar

   Introduction Madagascar
   -----------------------
                            Background: Formerly an independent kingdom,
                                        Madagascar became a French colony in
                                        1886, but regained its 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 RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing
                                        secession of half of the country. In
                                        April 2002 the High Constitutional
                                        Court announced RAVALOMANANA the
                                        winner.
  
   Geography Madagascar
   --------------------
                              Location: Southern Africa, island in the
                                        Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
                Geographic coordinates: 20 00 S, 47 00 E
                        Map references: Africa
                                  Area: total: 587,040 sq km
                                        water: 5,500 sq km
                                        land: 581,540 sq km
                    Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of
                                        Arizona
                       Land boundaries: 0 km
                             Coastline: 4,828 km
                       Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
                                        territorial sea: 12 NM
                                        exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
                                        continental shelf: 200 NM or 100 NM
                                        from the 2,500-m deep isobath
                               Climate: tropical along coast, temperate
                                        inland, arid in south
                               Terrain: narrow coastal plain, high plateau
                                        and mountains in center
                    Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
                                        highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m
                     Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite,
                                        salt, quartz, tar sands,
                                        semiprecious stones, mica, fish,
                                        hydropower
                              Land use: arable land: 4.41%
                                        permanent crops: 0.93%
                                        other: 94.66% (1998 est.)
                        Irrigated land: 10,900 sq km (1998 est.)
                       Natural hazards: periodic cyclones
          Environment - current issues: soil erosion results from
                                        deforestation and overgrazing;
                                        desertification; surface water
                                        contaminated with raw sewage and
                                        other organic wastes; several
                                        species of flora and fauna unique to
                                        the island are endangered
            Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
                            agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
                                        Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
                                        the Sea, Marine Life Conservation,
                                        Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
                                        Protection, Wetlands
                                        signed, but not ratified: none of
                                        the selected agreements
                      Geography - note: world's fourth-largest island;
                                        strategic location along Mozambique
                                        Channel
  
   People Madagascar
   -----------------
                            Population: 16,473,477 (July 2002 est.)
                         Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (male 3,713,700;
                                        female 3,696,478)
                                        15-64 years: 51.8% (male 4,227,931;
                                        female 4,313,940)
                                        65 years and over: 3.2% (male
                                        241,699; female 279,729) (2002 est.)
                Population growth rate: 3.03% (2002 est.)
                            Birth rate: 42.41 births/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                            Death rate: 12.15 deaths/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                    Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002
                                        est.)
                             Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
                                        under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
                                        15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
                                        65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/
                                        female
                                        total population: 0.99 male(s)/
                                        female (2002 est.)
                 Infant mortality rate: 81.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
                                        est.)
              Life expectancy at birth: total population: 55.74 years
                                        female: 58.11 years (2002 est.)
                                        male: 53.45 years
                  Total fertility rate: 5.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)
      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.15% (1999 est.)
     HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 11,000 (1999 est.)
                                  AIDS:
                     HIV/AIDS - deaths: 870 (1999 est.)
                           Nationality: noun: Malagasy (singular and plural)
  
                                        adjective: Malagasy
                         Ethnic groups: Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and
                                        related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed
                                        African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab
                                        ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety,
                                        Antaisaka, Sakalava), French,
                                        Indian, Creole, Comoran
                             Religions: indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian
                                        41%, Muslim 7%
                             Languages: French (official), Malagasy
                                        (official)
                              Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
                                        and write
                                        total population: 80%
                                        male: 88%
                                        female: 73% (1990 est.)
  
   Government Madagascar
   ---------------------
                          Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
                                        Madagascar
                                        conventional short form: Madagascar
                                        local short form: Madagascar
                                        former: Malagasy Republic
                                        local long form: Republique de
                                        Madagascar
                       Government type: republic
                               Capital: Antananarivo
              Administrative divisions: 6 provinces (faritany);
                                        Antananarivo, Antsiranana,
                                        Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina,
                                        Toliara
                          Independence: 26 June 1960 (from France)
                      National holiday: Independence Day, 26 June (1960)
                          Constitution: 19 August 1992 by national
                                        referendum
                          Legal system: based on French civil law system and
                                        traditional Malagasy law; has not
                                        accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
                              Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
                      Executive branch: chief of state: President Marc
                                        RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May 2002)
                                        head of government: Prime Minister
                                        Jacques SYLLA (27 May 2002)
                                        cabinet: Council of Ministers
                                        appointed by the prime minister
                                        elections: president elected by
                                        popular vote for a five-year term;
                                        election last held 16 December 2001
                                        (next to be held NA November 2006);
                                        prime minister appointed by the
                                        president from a list of candidates
                                        nominated by the National Assembly
                                        election results: percent of vote -
                                        Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 40.89%,
                                        Marc RAVALOMANANA 46.21%; note - on
                                        29 April 2002, the High
                                        Constitutional Court announced
                                        RAVALOMANANA the winner by just over
                                        50% after a recount; RATSIRIKA's
                                        prime minister was put under house
                                        arrest on 27 May 2002, and SYLLA was
                                        appointed the new prime minister by
                                        President RAVALOMANANA
                    Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or
                                        Assemblee Nationale (150 seats;
                                        members are directly elected by
                                        popular vote to serve four-year
                                        terms); note - the legislature is
                                        scheduled to become a bicameral
                                        Parliament with the establishment of
                                        a Senate; two-thirds of the seats of
                                        this Senate will be filled by
                                        regional assemblies whose members
                                        will be elected by popular vote; the
                                        remaining one-third of the seats
                                        will be appointed by the president;
                                        the total number of seats will be
                                        determined by the National Assembly;
                                        all members will serve four-year
                                        terms
                                        elections: National Assembly - last
                                        held 17 May 1998 (next to be held NA
                                        2002)
                                        election results: National Assembly
                                        - percent of vote by party - NA%;
                                        seats by party - AREMA 63, LEADER/
                                        Fanilo 16, AVI 14, RPSD 11, AFFA 6,
                                        MFM 3, AKFM/Fanavaozana 3, GRAD/
                                        Iloafo 1, Fihaonana 1, independents
                                        32
                       Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High
                                        Constitutional Court or Haute Cour
                                        Constitutionnelle
         Political parties and leaders: Action, Truth, Development, and
                                        Harmony or AFFA [Professor Albert
                                        ZAFY]; Association for the Rebirth
                                        of Madagascar or AREMA [leader
                                        vacant]; Congress Party for Malagasy
                                        Independence or AKFM/Fanavaozana
                                        [leader NA]; Economic Liberalism and
                                        Democratic Action for National
                                        Recovery or LEADER/Fanilo [Herizo
                                        RAZAFIMAHALEO]; Fihaonana Rally or
                                        Fihaonana [Guy RAZANAMASY]; Group of
                                        Reflection and Action for the
                                        Development of Madagascar or GRAD/
                                        Iloafo; Judged by Your Work or AVI
                                        [Norbert RATSIRAHONANA]; Movement
                                        for the Progress of Madagascar or
                                        MFM [Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA];
                                        Renewal of the Social Democratic
                                        Party or RPSD [Evariste MARSON];
                                        Tranobe (Big House) [Ny Hasina
                                        ANDRIAMANJATO]
          Political pressure groups and Federalist Movement; National
                               leaders: Council of Christian Churches or
                                        FFKM
             International organization ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-
                         participation: 77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM,
                                        IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
                                        IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
                                        (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN,
                                        UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU,
                                        WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
                                        WTrO
   Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Zina
                                        ANDRIANARIVELO-RAZAFY
                                        consulate(s) general: New York
                                        FAX: [1] (202) 265-3034
                                        telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526
                                        chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue
                                        NW, Washington, DC 20008
     Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Wanda
                                    US: L. NESBITT
                                        embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo,
                                        Antsahavola, Antananarivo
                                        mailing address: B. P. 620,
                                        Antsahavola, Antananarivo
                                        telephone: [261] (20) 22-212-57
                                        FAX: [261] (20) 22-345-39
                      Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of red
                                        (top) and green with a vertical
                                        white band of the same width on
                                        hoist side
  
   Economy Madagascar
   ------------------
                    Economy - overview: Madagascar faces problems of chronic
                                        malnutrition, underfunded health and
                                        education facilities, a roughly 3%
                                        annual population growth rate, and
                                        severe loss of forest cover,
                                        accompanied by erosion. Agriculture,
                                        including fishing and forestry, is
                                        the mainstay of the economy,
                                        accounting for one-third of GDP and
                                        contributing more than 70% to export
                                        earnings. Industry features textile
                                        manufacturing and the processing of
                                        agricultural products. Growth in
                                        output in 1992-97 averaged less than
                                        the growth rate of the population.
                                        Growth has been held back by
                                        antigovernment strikes and
                                        demonstrations, a decline in world
                                        coffee prices, and the erratic
                                        commitment of the government to
                                        economic reform. The extent of
                                        government reforms, outside
                                        financial aid, and foreign
                                        investment will be key determinants
                                        of future growth.
                                   GDP: purchasing power parity - $14
                                        billion (2001 est.)
                GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2001 est.)
                      GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $870 (2001
                                        est.)
           GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 34%
                                        industry: 11%
                                        services: 55% (1999 est.)
         Population below poverty line: 70% (1994 est.)
     Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.2%
                      percentage share: highest 10%: 37.3% (1997)
   Distribution of family income - Gini 46 (1997)
                                 index:
      Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7% (2001 est.)
                           Labor force: 7 million (1999)
                     Unemployment rate: NA%
                                Budget: revenues: $553 million
                                        expenditures: $735 million,
                                        including capital expenditures of
                                        $NA (1998 est.)
                            Industries: meat processing, soap, breweries,
                                        tanneries, sugar, textiles,
                                        glassware, cement, automobile
                                        assembly plant, paper, petroleum,
                                        tourism
     Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2000 est.)
              Electricity - production: 820 million kWh (2000)
    Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 36.59%
                                        hydro: 63.41%
                                        other: 0% (2000)
                                        nuclear: 0%
             Electricity - consumption: 762.6 million kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
                 Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
                Agriculture - products: coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves,
                                        cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca),
                                        beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock
                                        products
                               Exports: $680 million (f.o.b., 2000)
                 Exports - commodities: coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar;
                                        cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum
                                        products
                    Exports - partners: France 41%, US 21%, Germany 7%,
                                        Japan 4%, UK 1% (2000)
                               Imports: $919 million (f.o.b., 2000)
                 Imports - commodities: intermediate manufactures, capital
                                        goods, petroleum, consumer goods,
                                        food
                    Imports - partners: France 38%, Hong Kong 10%, China 5%,
                                        Singapore 5%, Japan 3%
                       Debt - external: $4.5 billion (2000)
              Economic aid - recipient: $838 million (1997)
                              Currency: Malagasy franc (MGF)
                         Currency code: MGF
                        Exchange rates: Malagasy francs per US dollar -
                                        6,531.4 (December 2001), 6,588.5
                                        (2001), 6,767.5 (2000), 6,283.8
                                        (1999), 5,441.4 (1998), 5,090.9
                                        (1997)
                           Fiscal year: calendar year
  
   Communications Madagascar
   -------------------------
        Telephones - main lines in use: 55,000 (2000)
          Telephones - mobile cellular: 63,100 (2000)
                      Telephone system: general assessment: system is above
                                        average for the region
                                        domestic: open-wire lines, coaxial
                                        cables, microwave radio relay, and
                                        tropospheric scatter links connect
                                        regions
                                        international: submarine cable to
                                        Bahrain; satellite earth stations -
                                        1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1
                                        Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region)
              Radio broadcast stations: AM 2 (plus a number of repeater
                                        stations), FM 9, shortwave 6 (2001)
                                Radios: 3.05 million (1997)
         Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus 36 repeaters) (2001)
                           Televisions: 325,000 (1997)
                 Internet country code: .mg
     Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
                        Internet users: 30,000 (2000)
  
   Transportation Madagascar
   -------------------------
                              Railways: total: 893 km
                                        narrow gauge: 893 km 1.000-m gauge
                                        (2001)
                              Highways: total: 49,837 km
                                        paved: 5,781 km
                                        unpaved: 44,056 km (1996)
                             Waterways: note: of local importance only
                     Ports and harbors: Antsiranana, Antsohimbondrona,
                                        Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara
                       Merchant marine: total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
                                        totaling 27,199 GRT/37,462 DWT
                                        ships by type: cargo 9, chemical
                                        tanker 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum
                                        tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2 (2002
                                        est.)
                              Airports: 130 (2001)
         Airports - with paved runways: total: 29
                                        over 3,047 m: 1
                                        2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
                                        1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
                                        914 to 1,523 m: 20
                                        under 914 m: 2 (2001)
       Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 101
                                        1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
                                        914 to 1,523 m: 55
                                        under 914 m: 44 (2001)
  
   Military Madagascar
   -------------------
                       Military branches: People's Armed Forces (comprising
                                          Intervention Force, Development
                                          Force, Aeronaval [Navy and Air]
                                          Force), Gendarmerie, Presidential
                                          Security Regiment
        Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age (2002 est.)
        Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 3,758,940 (2002
                                          est.)
     Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 2,229,304 (2002
                                 service: est.)
    Military manpower - reaching military males: 153,856 (2002 est.)
                            age annually:
           Military expenditures - dollar $48.7 million (FY01)
                                  figure:
       Military expenditures - percent of 1.2% (FY01)
                                     GDP:
  
   Transnational Issues Madagascar
   -------------------------------
              Disputes - international: claims Bassas da India, Europa
                                        Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de
                                        Nova Island, and Tromelin Island
                                        (all administered by France)
                         Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis
                                        (cultivated and wild varieties) used
                                        mostly for domestic consumption;
                                        transshipment point for heroin
  
                                       



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