:Madagascar Government
Long-form name:
Democratic Republic of Madagascar
Type:
republic
Capital:
Antananarivo
Administrative divisions:
6 provinces (plural - NA, singular - faritanin'); Antananarivo, Antsiranana,
Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliary
Independence:
26 June 1960 (from France; formerly Malagasy Republic)
Constitution:
21 December 1975; note - a new constitution is to be in place before 1993
Legal system:
based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 June (1960)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
unicameral Popular National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale Populaire); note -
the National Assembly has suspended its operations during 1992 in
preparation for new legislative and presidential elections. In its place, an
interim High Authority of State and a Social and Economic Recovery Council
have been established
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme), High Constitutional Court (Haute Cour
Constitutionnelle)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Adm. Didier RATSIRAKA (since 15 June 1975)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Guy RASANAMAZY (since 8 August 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
some 30 political parties now exist in Madagascar, the most important of
which are the Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier
RATSIRAKA; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM),
RAKOTOVAO-ANDRIATIANA; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence-Revival
(AKFM-R), Pastor Richard ANDRIAMANJATO; Movement for National Unity (VONJY),
Dr. Marojama RAZANABAHINY; Malagasy Christian Democratic Union (UDECMA),
Norbert ANDRIAMORASATA; Militants for the Establishment of a Proletarian
Regime (MFM), Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA; National Movement for the Independence
of Madagascar (MONIMA), Monja JAONA; National Union for the Defense of
Democracy (UNDD), Albert ZAFY
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held on 12 March 1989 (next to be held NA 1992); results - Didier
RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 62%, Manandafy RAKOTONIRINA (MFM/MFT) 20%, Dr. Jerome
Marojama RAZANABAHINY (VONJY) 15%, Monja JAONA (MONIMA) 3%
Popular National Assembly:
last held on 28 May 1989 (next to be held 1992); results - AREMA 88.2%, MFM
5.1%, AKFM 3.7%, VONJY 2.2%, other 0.8%; seats - (137 total) AREMA 120, MFM
7, AKFM 5, VONJY 4, MONIMA 1
:Madagascar Government
Member of:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Pierrot Jocelyn RAJAONARIVELO; Chancery at 2374 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-5525 or 5526; there is
a Malagasy Consulate General in New York
US:
Ambassador Howard K. WALKER; Embassy at 14 and 16 Rue Rainitovo,
Antsahavola, Antananarivo (mailing address is B. P. 620, Antananarivo);
telephone [261] (2) 212-57, 209-56, 200-89, 207-18
Flag:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band
of the same width on hoist side
:Madagascar Economy
Overview:
Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Agriculture,
including fishing and forestry, is the mainstay of the economy, accounting
for over 40% of GDP, employing about 80% of the labor force, and
contributing to more than 70% of total export earnings. Industry is largely
confined to the processing of agricultural products and textile
manufacturing; in 1990 it accounted for only 16% of GDP and employed almost
5% of the labor force. In 1986 the government introduced a five-year
development plan that stressed self-sufficiency in food (mainly rice) by
1990, increased production for exports, and reduced energy imports. After
mid-1991, however, output dropped sharply because of protracted
antigovernment strikes and demonstrations for political reform.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $2.4 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate
-3.8% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $390 million; expenditures $525 million, including capital
expenditures of $240 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
$290 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
coffee 45%, vanilla 15%, cloves 11%, sugar, petroleum products
partners:
France, Japan, Italy, Germany, US
Imports:
$436 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
intermediate manufactures 30%, capital goods 28%, petroleum 15%, consumer
goods 14%, food 13%
partners:
France, Germany, UK, other EC, US
External debt:
$4.4 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate 5.2% (1990 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
Electricity:
125,000 kW capacity; 450 million kWh produced, 35 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
agricultural processing (meat canneries, soap factories, breweries,
tanneries, sugar refining plants), light consumer goods industries
(textiles, glassware), cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum
Agriculture:
accounts for 40% of GDP; cash crops - coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves,
cocoa; food crops - rice, cassava, beans, bananas, peanuts; cattle raising
widespread; almost self-sufficient in rice
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis (cultivated and wild varieties) used mostly for
domestic consumption
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $136 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3,125 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $491 million
Currency:
Malagasy franc (plural - francs); 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100 centimes
:Madagascar Economy
Exchange rates:
Malagasy francs (FMG) per US$1 - 1,943.4 (March 1992), 1,835.4 (1991),
1,454.6 (December 1990), 1,603.4 (1989) , 1,407.1 (1988), 1,069.2 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Madagascar Communications
Railroads:
1,020 km 1.000-meter gauge
Highways:
40,000 km total; 4,694 km paved, 811 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized
soil, 34,495 km improved and unimproved earth (est.)
Inland waterways:
of local importance only; isolated streams and small portions of Canal des
Pangalanes
Ports:
Toamasina, Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toliara
Merchant marine:
14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 59,255 GRT/81,509 DWT; includes 9
cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 petroleum tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1
liquefied gas
Civil air:
8 major transport aircraft
Airports:
148 total, 103 usable; 30 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 34 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
above average system includes open-wire lines, coaxial cables, radio relay,
and troposcatter links; submarine cable to Bahrain; satellite earth stations
- 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and broadcast stations - 17 AM, 3 FM, 1 (36
repeaters) TV