1985 Edition

Agriculture

cash crops — coffee, vanilla, cloves, sugar, tobacco, sisal, rice, raffial; cocoa; pepper; food crops — rice, cassava, cereals, potatoes, corn, beans, bananas, coconuts, and peanuts; animal husbandry widespread; imports some rice, milk, and cereal

Airfields

152 total, 125 usable; 28 with permanent-surface runways; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 46 with runways 1,2202,439 m

Branches

executive — a 19-member Supreme Revolutionary Council (made up of military and political leaders); assisted by cabinet called Council of Ministers; unicameral legislative — Popular 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

Popular Army, Aeronaval Forces (includes Navy and Air Force), paramilitary Gendarmerie

Budget

overall government operations (1984 prov.) — total revenues, $417 million; current expenditures, $295 million; capital expenditures, $149 million

Capital

Antananarivo

Civil air

6 major transport aircraft

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 Popular National Assembly held in June 1977 and in August 1983; only one political group allowed to take part in the election, The National Front for the Defense of the Revolution, which presented a single list of candidates; a presidential election in November 1982 returned President Ratsiraka with an 80% majority; the challenger, Monja Jaona, received 20% and was later arrested after leading demonstrations to protest election fraud Political parties and leaders: seven parties are now allowed limited political activity under the national front and are represented on the Supreme Revolutionary Council: Advance Guard of the Malagasy Revolution (AREMA), Didier Ratsiraka; Congress Party for Malagasy Independence (AKFM), Pastor Richard Andriamanjato; Movement for National Unity (VONJY), Dr. Marojama Razanabahiny; Malagasy Christian Demcratic 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; Socialist Organization MONIMA (VS MONIMA), Jaona Remanindry

Electric power

110,000 kW capacity (1984); 420 million kWh produced (1984), 43 kWh per capita

Exports

$328 million (f.o.b., 1984 prov.); coffee, vanilla, sugar, cloves; agricultural and livestock products account for about 85% of export earnings

External debt

$2.2 billion disbursed; debt service payment 30% of exports after rescheduling

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

Fishing

catch 48,001 (1982 est); marketed output— 22,150 metric tons fish (1984 prov.); 6,695 metric tons shellfish (1984 prov.)

GDP

$2.5 billion (1984 prov.), about $260 per capita; real growth rate 1.6% (1984 prov.)

Government leader

Adm. Didier RATSIRAKA, President (since June 1975); Lt. Col. Desire Rakotoarijaona, Prime Minister

Highways

40,000 km total; 4,694 km paved, 811 km crushed stone, gravel, or stabilized soil; remainder improved and unimproved earth (est.)

Imports

$356 million (f.o.b., 1984 prov.); raw materials, intermediate goods, foodstuffs

Inland waterways

of local importance only; isolated streams and small portions of Canal des Pangalanes

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

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, US, other EC, Saudi Arabia; trade with Communist countries remains a minute part of total trade

Member of

Af DB, EAMA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OCAM, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO Economy

Military manpower

males 15-49, 2,197,000; 1,344,000 fit for military service; 90,000 reach military age (20) annually

Monetary conversion rate

621.12 Malagasy francs=US$l (October 1984)

National holiday

Independence Day, 26 June

Political subdivisions

6 provinces

Ports

4 major (Tamatave, Diego Suarez, Majunga, Tulear)

Railroads

1,020 km 1.000-meter gauge

Suffrage

universal over age 18 Madagascar (continued)

Telecommunications

fair system includes open-wire lines, coaxial cables, and radio-relay links; 1 Indian Ocean satellite station; 38,200 telephones (0.4 per lOOpopl.); 14 AM, no FM, 24 TV stations Defense Forces

Type

real authority in hands of President Ratsiraka, although Supreme Revolutionary Council is theoretically ultimate executive authority

Voting strength

4.8 million registered voters (1982); in 1977 local elections. President Ratsiraka 's AREMA captured approximately 89.5% of the 73,000 available positions on 1 1,400 local executive committees; AKFM won about 7.3% of the seats, MONIMA 1.7%, and VONJY 1.4%; UDECMA won only about 45 seats; in the 1983 legislative election AREMA won 1 17 out of the 137 seats in the Popular National Assembly