Madagascar 
Facts
Population:
15,982,563 (July 2001 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
45.02% (male 3,607,803; female 3,587,532)
15-64 years:
51.77% (male 4,093,720; female 4,180,430)
65 years and over:
3.21% (male 239,839; female 273,239) (2001 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.02% (2001 est.)
Birth rate:
42.66 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate:
12.42 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.88 male(s)/female
total population:
0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
83.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
55.35 years
male:
53.08 years
female:
57.68 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.8 children born/woman (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.15% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
11,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
870 (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Malagasy (singular and plural)
adjective:
Malagasy
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%
Languages:
French (official), Malagasy (official)
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
80%
male:
88%
female:
73% (1990 est.)
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.8% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture:
30%
industry:
14%
services:
56% (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line:
70% (1994 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
1.9%
highest 10%:
36.7% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10% (1999 est.)
Labor force:
7 million (1999)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$553 million
expenditures:
$735 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries:
meat processing, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production:
810 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel:
37.04%
hydro:
62.96%
nuclear:
0%
other:
0% (1999)
Electricity - consumption:
753.3 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (1999)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas, peanuts; livestock products
Exports:
$538 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar; cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products
Exports - partners:
France 41%, US 19%, Germany 13%, UK 8%, Japan 6% (1999)
Imports:
$693 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports - commodities:
intermediate manufactures, capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food
Imports - partners:
France 34%, Hong Kong 6%, China 6%, Japan 5%, Singapore 4% (1999)
Debt - external:
$4.4 billion (1999)
Economic aid - recipient:
$838 million (1997)
Currency:
Malagasy franc (MGF)
Currency code:
MGF
Exchange rates:
Malagasy francs per US dollar - 6,656.3 (November 2000), 6,283.8 (1999), 5,441.4 (1998), 5,090.9 (1997), 4,061.3 (1996)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Statistics: CIA World Factbook.
Press
(Independent), N/A
http://www.lagazette-dgi.info/
(Independent, French-language), Antananarivo
http://www.lexpressmada.com/
Madagascar Tribune
(Independent, French-language), Antananarivo
Midi Madagasikara
(Government-controlled), Antananarivo
Madagascar in the News
Following a hotly-disputed election, Madagascar has two governments. Sarah Coleman reviews the regional press.
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