party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, 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:

20,653,556 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

Age structure:

0-14 years: 43.5% (male 4,523,033/female 4,460,473)

15-64 years: 53.5% (male 5,483,684/female 5,557,098)