Madagascar

Madagascar was one of the last major habitable landmasses on earth to be settled by humans. While there is some evidence of human presence on the island in the millennia B.C., large-scale settlement began between A.D. 350 and 550 with settlers from present-day Indonesia. The island attracted Arab and Persian traders as early as the 7th century, and migrants from Africa arrived around A.D. 1000. Madagascar was a pirate stronghold during the late 17th and early 18th centuries and served as a slave trading center into the 19th century. From the 16th to the late 19th century, a native Merina Kingdom dominated much of Madagascar. The French conquered the island in 1896 and made it a colony; independence was regained in 1960. <br><br>Free presidential and National Assembly elections were held in 1992-93, ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing half the country to secede. In 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. He won a second term in 2006 but, following protests in 2009, handed over power to the military, which then conferred the presidency on the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA, in what amounted to a coup d'etat. After a lengthy mediation process, Madagascar held UN-supported presidential and parliamentary elections in 2013. Former de facto finance minister Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA won in a runoff and was inaugurated in 2014. In 2019, RAJOELINA was declared the winner against RAVALOMANANA. In 2023, RAJOELINA won another term in an election that most of the opposition boycotted, including RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA and RAVALOMANANA, who claimed it was rigged in favor of RAJOELINA. International observers, however, saw no evidence of systemic fraud, leading the international community to accept the election results.

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

20 00 S, 47 00 E

Africa

almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

4,828 km

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

10,860 sq km (2012)

most of population lives on the eastern half of the island; significant clustering is found in the central highlands and eastern coastline, as shown in this population distribution map

periodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in recorded history

world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel; despite Madagascar&rsquo;s close proximity to the African continent, ocean currents isolate the island, resulting in high rates of endemic plant and animal species; approximately 90% of the flora and fauna on the island are found nowhere else

Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

Malagasy (official) 99.9%, French (official) 23.6%, English 8.2%, other 0.6% (2018 est.)

Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/Malagasy Lutheran Church/Anglican Church 34%, Roman Catholic 32.3%, other Christian 8.1%, traditional/Animist 1.7%, Muslim 1.4%, other 0.6%, none 21.9% (2021 est.)

2.15% (2025 est.)

27.54 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

5.95 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

most of population lives on the eastern half of the island; significant clustering is found in the central highlands and eastern coastline, as shown in this population distribution map

3.872 million ANTANANARIVO (capital) (2023)

19.5 years (2021 est.)

445 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

3.47 children born/woman (2025 est.)

1.71 (2025 est.)

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

5.3% (2016)

22.6% (2021 est.)

62.3% (2021 est.)

erosion and soil degradation from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; agricultural fires; water pollution from raw sewage and other organic wastes; wildlife preservation&nbsp;

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

16.7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

337 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

semi-presidential republic

6 provinces (<em>faritany</em>); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

civil law system based on the old French civil code and customary law in matters of marriage, family, and obligation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Group of Young Malagasy Patriots (Groupe des Jeunes Malgaches Patriotes) or GJMP<br>I Love Madagascar (Tiako I Madagasikara) or TIM<br>Isika Rehetra Miaraka amin'i Andry Rajoelina coalition or IRD<br>Malagasy Aware (Malagasy Tonga Saina) or MTS<br>Malagasy Tia Tanindrazana or MATITA or ANGADY<br>Movement for Democracy in Madagascar (Mouvement pour la Démocratie à Madagascar) or MDM<br>Rally for Democratic Socialism (Rassemblement pour Socialisme Démocratique - Nouveau) or RPSD Vaovao<br>Young Malagasies Determined (Tanora Malagasy Vonona) or TGV

ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

26 June 1960 (from France)

Independence Day, 26 June (1960)

<strong>description:</strong> two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green, with a vertical white band on the left side<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> red stands for sovereignty, green for hope, and white for purity

traveller's palm (ravenala), zebu

red, green, white

low-income East African island economy; natural resource rich; extreme poverty; return of political stability has helped growth; sharp tax revenue drop due to COVID-19; leading vanilla producer; environmentally fragile

$17.421 billion (2024 est.)

rice, sugarcane, cassava, sweet potatoes, milk, bananas, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, maize, potatoes (2023)

meat processing, seafood, soap, beer, leather, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism, mining

3.7% (2024 est.)

16.519 million (2024 est.)

9.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

USA 16%, France 15%, Japan 8%, China 6%, S. Korea 6% (2023)

garments, nickel, vanilla, cloves, gold (2023)

China 19%, Oman 13%, France 10%, India 8%, South Africa 5% (2023)

refined petroleum, rice, fabric, cotton fabric, wheat (2023)

state-owned Radio Nationale Malagasy (RNM) and Television Malagasy (TVM) have an extensive national network reach; privately owned radio and TV broadcasters in cities and major towns; state-run radio dominates in rural areas; relays of 2 international broadcasters are available in Antananarivo (2019)

.mg

5R

93 (2025)

Madagascar Armed Forces (aka Armed forces of the Republic of Madagascar); Malagasy Army, Naval Forces (or National Navy), Air Force; Malagasy National Gendarmerie (2025)

estimated 13,000 Armed Forces; estimated 10,000 Gendarmerie (2025)

the military's inventory consists mostly of older or secondhand armaments originating from countries such as France, South Africa, the former Soviet Union, the UAE, the UK, and the US (2025)

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; service obligation 18 months; conscription available in times of national emergency or war (2025)

the military&rsquo;s responsibilities include ensuring sovereignty and territorial integrity and protecting Madagascar&rsquo;s maritime domain, particularly against piracy, drug trafficking, and smuggling; it also assists the Gendarmerie with maintaining law and order in rural areas, largely in areas affected by banditry, cattle rustling, and criminal groups; the military has a history of influence in domestic politics and seized control of the government in October 2025; security relationships have included France, India, and Russia; Madagascar's small Navy has traditionally looked to India for assistance with maritime security (2025)