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Area:
land: 581,540 sq km
water: 5,500 sq km
Nationality:
noun: Malagasy (singular and plural)
Languages:
Malagasy (official), French (official).
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: 5.07%
permanent crops: 1.03%
other: 93.91% (2001)
Irrigated
land:
10,900 sq km (2000 est.)
Natural
hazards:
periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation
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
Geography:
world's fourth-largest island
Population:
18,040,341 (July 2005 est.)
Age
structure:
0-14 years: 44.8% (male 4,051,832/female 4,038,837)
15-64 years: 52.1% (male 4,657,346/female 4,745,971)
65 years and over: 3% (male 247,146/female 299,209) (2005 est.)
Death
rate:
11.35 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Infant
mortality rate:
total: 76.83 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 85.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 68.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life
expectancy at birth:
total population: 56.95 years
male: 54.57 years
female: 59.4 years (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: 140,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- deaths:7,500
(2003 est.)
Major
infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne
diseases: malaria and plague are high risks in some locations
water
contact disease: schistosomiasis (2004)
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%
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)
Economy
- overview:
Having discarded past socialist economic policies, Madagascar
has since the mid 1990s followed a World Bank and IMF led policy
of privatization and liberalization. This strategy has placed
the country on a slow and steady growth path from an extremely
low level. Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay
of the economy, accounting for more than one-fourth of GDP and
employing 80% of the population. Exports of apparel have boomed
in recent years primarily due to duty-free access to the United
States. Deforestation and erosion, aggravated by the use of firewood
as the primary source of fuel are serious concerns. President
RAVALOMANANA has worked aggressively to revive the economy following
the 2002 political crisis, which triggered a 12% drop in GDP that
year. Poverty reduction and combating corruption will be the centerpieces
of economic policy for the next few years.
GDP:
Population
below poverty line: 72.1% (2004 est.)
Source:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ma.html
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