1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
595,700 km2; 5% cultivated, 58% pastureland, 21% forested, 8% wasteland, 2% rivers and lakes, 6% other WATER
Coastline
4,828 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
50 nm (fishing 150 nm; exclusive economic zone 150 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
basic split between highlanders of predominantly Malayo-Indonesian origin, consisting of Merina (1,643,000) and related Betsileo (760,000) on the one hand and coastal tribes—collectively termed the Cotiers—with mixed Negroid, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry on the other; coastal tribes include Betsimisaraka 941,000, Tsimihety 442,000, Antaisaka 415,000, Sakalava 375,000; there are also 10-12,000 European French, 5,000 Indians of French nationality, and 5,000 Creoles
Labor force
about 3.4 million, of which 90% are non-salaried family workers engaged in subsistence agriculture; of 175,000 wage and salary earners, 26% agriculture, 17% domestic service, 15% industry, 14% commerce, 11% construction, 9%services, 6% transportation, 2% miscellaneous
Language
French and Malagasy official
Literacy
45% of population age 10 and over
Organized labor
4% of labor force
Population
8,992,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.5% Nationality:' noun—Malagasy (sing. and pl.); adjective—Malagasy
Religion
more than half animist; about 41% Christian, 7% Muslim
Government
Branches
executive—a 21-member Supreme Revolutionary Council (made up of military and political leaders); assisted by cabinet called Council of Ministers; People's National Assembly; Military Committee for Development; regular courts are patterned after French system, and a High Council of Institutions reviews all legislation to determine its constitutional validity
Capital
Antananarivo
Communists
Communist party of virtually no importance; small and vocal group of Communists has gained strong position in leadership of AKFM, the rank and file of which is non-Communist
Elections
referendum held in December 1975 gave overwhelming approval to government and new constitution; elections for People's National Assembly held in June 1977; only one political grouping allowed to take part in the election, "The Front for the Defense of Malagasy Socialist Revolution," which presented a single list of candidates Political parties and leaders: 6 parties are now allowed limited political activity under the national front and are represented on the Supreme Revolutionary Council; the 6 parties are: AREMA (President Ratsiraka's Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution); AKFM (Pastor Richard Andria-manjato's pro-Soviet Congress Party for Malagasy Independence); VONJY (Dr. Marojama Razanabahiny's Movement for National Unity); UDECMA (Norbert Andriamorasata's Malagasy Christian Democratic Union); MFM (Manandafy Rakotonirina's Militants for the Establishment of a Proletarian Regime); MONIMA (Monja Jaona's National Movement for the Independence of Madagascar) party apparently split over issue of joining national front, leader of faction supporting front unknown, Monja Jaona leads other faction
Government leader
Cdr. Didier RATS1RAKA, President
Legal system
based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; constitution of 1959 modified in October 1972 by law establishing provisional government institutions; new constitution accepted by referendum in December 1975; legal education at National School of Law, University of Madagascar; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
EAMA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 26 June
Official name
Democratic Republic of Madagascar
Political subdivisions
6 provinces
Suffrage
universal for adults (18 and above)
Type
republic; real authority in hands of Supreme Revolutionary Council dominated by President Ratsiraka's AREMA party
Voting strength
number of registered voters (1977)—3.5 million; in 1977 local elections, President Ratsiraka's AREMA captured approximately 89.5% of the 73,000 available positions on 11,400 local Executive Committees; AKFM won about 7.3% of the seats, MONIMA 1.7%, and VONJY 1.4%; UDECMA won only about 45 seats
Economy
Agriculture
cash crops—coffee, vanilla, cloves, sugar, tobacco, sisal, rice, raphia; food crops—rice, cassava, cereals, potatoes, corn, beans, bananas, coconuts, and peanuts; animal husbandry widespread; imports some rice, milk, and cereal
Budget
(1980) revenues $521 million (est.), current expenditures $540 million (est.), development expenditures $255 (est.)
Electric power
100,000 kW capacity (1980); 410 million kWh produced (1980), 47 kWh per capita
Exports
$518.0 million (f.o.b., 1980); 30% coffee, 8% vanilla, 7% sugar, 6% cloves; agricultural and livestock products account for about 85% of export earnings
Fiscal year
calendar year
Fishing
catch 51,380 metric tons (1978)
GDP
$2.3 billion (1980), about $265 per capita; real growth 4.2% (1980)
Imports
$724.1 million (f.o.b., 1980); about 19% consumer goods, 21% foodstuffs, 41% primary products (crude oil, fertilizers, metal products), 19% capital goods (1974)
Major industries
agricultural processing (meat canneries, soap factories, brewery, tanneries, sugar refining), light consumer goods industries (textiles, glassware), cement plant, auto assembly plant, paper mill, oil refinery
Major trade partners
France (in 1974 accounted for 37% of exports and 48% of imports), US, EC; trade with Communist countries remains a minute part of total trade
Monetary conversion rate
290 Malagasy francs=US$1
Communications
Airfields
172 total, 131 usable; 29 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 45 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
7 major transport aircraft, including 1 leased out
Highways
27,500 km total; 4,694 km paved, 811 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; remainder improved and unimproved earth (est.)
Inland waterways
of local importance only, Lake Alaotra, isolated streams and small portions of Canal des Pangalanes
Ports
4 major (Tamatave, Diego Suarez, Majunga, Tulear)
Railroads
884 km of meter gauge (1.00 m)
Telecommunications
fair system, above African average; includes open-wire lines, coaxial cables, and radio-relay links; 1 Indian Ocean satellite station; 37,100 telephones (0.4 per 100 popl.); 11 AM, no FM, and 4 TV stations
Military and Security
Military budget
for fiscal year ending 31 December 1981, $114.4 million; about 10.3% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,972,000; 1,206,000 fit for military service; 84,000 reach military age (20) annually