Madagascar

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MADAGASCAR

THE LANDSCAPE OF MADAGASCAR

THE HISTORY OF MADAGASCAR

THE GEOGRAPHY

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General Information about Madagascar:

Location

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

Area

	Total area: 587,040 sq km
	Land area: 581,540 sq km

Names

Conventional long form			Republic of Madagascar
Conventional short form			Madagascar
Local long form			Republique de Madagascar
Local short form			Madagascar
Former			Malagasy Republic

Digraph

Type

Republic

Capital

Tananarive

Administrative Divisions

Six provinces; Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliary

Independence

26 June 1960 (from France)

Population

13,862,325 (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

3.18% (1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

47% (female 3,231,647; male 3,265,715)

15-64 Years

50% (female 3,511,699; male 3,413,564)

65 Years and Over

3% (female 225,205; male 214,495) (July 1995 est.)

Ethnic Divisions

	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%
	Christians 41%
	Muslims 7%

Languages

French (official), Malagasy (official)

Literacy

Age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

	Total population: 80%
	Male: 88%
	Female: 73%

The President of MADAGASCAR

PRESIDENT DIDIER RATSIRAKA

Lieutenant Commander Didier Ratsiraka was named head of state in June 1975. Albert Zafi defeated Ratsiraka in a presidential runoff election in February 1993. New presidential elections were held in December 1996. Ratsiraka defeated Zafy and was proclaimed president once again in January 1997. And still he is acting as the president of Madagascar.

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