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Madagascar

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: African Countries;
Countries

   SOS Children works in Madagascar. For more information see SOS Children
   in Madagascar, Africa
   Repoblikan'i Madagasikara
   République de Madagascar
   Republic of Madagascar

   Flag of Madagascar Coat of arms of Madagascar
   Flag               Coat of arms
   Motto: "Tanindrazana, Fahafahana, Fandrosoana"  ( Malagasy)
   "Ancestral-land, Liberty, Progress"
   Anthem: Ry Tanindraza nay malala ô
   Oh, Our Beloved Ancestral-land
   Location of Madagascar
   Capital
   (and largest city) Antananarivo
   18°55′S 47°31′E
   Official languages Malagasy, French
   Government Republic
    - President Marc Ravalomanana
    - Prime Minister Jacques Sylla
   Independence from France
    - Date 26 June 1960
   Area
    - Total 587,041 km² ( 45th)
   226,597 sq mi
    - Water (%) 013%
   Population
    - July 2005 estimate 18,606,000 ( 56th)
    - 1993 census 12,238,914
    - Density 32/km² ( 171st)
   83/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2005 estimate
    - Total $16.228 billion ( 118th)
    - Per capita $905 ( 169th)
   HDI  (2004) 0.509 (medium) ( 143th)
   Currency Malagasy ariary ( MGA)
   Time zone EAT ( UTC+3)
    - Summer ( DST) not observed ( UTC+3)
   Internet TLD .mg
   Calling code +261
   ^1 Malagasy is the national language according to the Constitution.
   French is considered a de facto official language.

   Madagascar (officially the Republic of Madagascar) or Malagasy
   Republic, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the southeastern
   coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth
   largest island in the world, and is home to five percent of the world's
   plant and animal species, (more than 80 percent of which are indigenous
   to Madagascar.) Most notable are the lemur infraorder of primates, the
   carnivorous fossa, three endemic bird families and six endemic baobab
   species. The adjective for Madagascar is Malagasy (pronounced
   "mal-la-gas-ee" or "mal-a-gash"), and the official national language is
   the Malagasy language.

History

   The first settlers came from Asia, rather than Africa, circa 700 AD.
   The culture shows the influence of both Africa and Asia. The settlement
   represented the western-most branch of the great Austronesian
   expansion. Some of the strongest evidence indicating that the settlers
   of Madagascar came from this region is the linguistic similarity
   between the Malayo-Polynesian and Malagasy languages.

   The written history of Madagascar began in the 7th century, when Arabs
   established trading posts along the northwest coast. European contact
   began in the 1500s, when Portuguese sea captain Diego Dias sighted the
   island after his ship separated from a fleet going to India. In the
   late 17th century, the French established trading posts along the east
   coast. From about 1774 to 1824, it was a favourite haunt for pirates,
   including Americans, one of whom brought Malagasy rice to South
   Carolina.

   During the Middle Ages, the chiefs of the different settlements began
   to extend their power through trade with Indian Ocean neighbors,
   notably North Africa, the Middle-east and India. Large chiefdoms began
   to dominate considerable areas of the island. Among these were the
   Sakalava chiefdoms of the Menabe, centered in what is now the town of
   Morondava, and of Boina, centered in what is now the provincial capital
   of Mahajanga ( Majunga). The influence of the Sakalava extended across
   what is now the provinces of Antsiranana, Mahajanga and Toliara. But
   with the domination of the Indian Ocean by the British fleet and the
   end of the Arab slave trade, the Sakalava would lose their power to the
   emerging Merina threat. For a short time the Betsimisaraka of the east
   coast also unified, but this unification was short-lived.

   Beginning in the 1790s, Merina rulers succeeded in establishing
   hegemony over the major part of the island, including the coast. In
   1817, the Merina ruler and the British governor of Mauritius concluded
   a treaty abolishing the slave trade, which had been important in
   Madagascar's economy. In return, the island received British military
   and financial assistance. British influence remained strong for several
   decades, during which the Merina court was converted to
   Presbyterianism, Congregationalism, and Anglicanism.
   Antananarivo, Madagascar
   Enlarge
   Antananarivo, Madagascar

   France invaded Madagascar in 1883 in what became known as the first
   Franco-Hova War (Hova being the name of the Merina aristocrats),
   seeking to restore property that had been confiscated from French
   citizens. At the war’s end, Madagascar ceded Antsiranana (Diego Suarez)
   on the northern coast to France and paid 560,000 gold francs to the
   heirs of Joseph-François Lambert. The British accepted the imposition
   of a French protectorate over Madagascar in 1885 in return for eventual
   control over Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania) and as part of an overall
   definition of spheres of influence in the area.

   In Europe, meanwhile, diplomats partitioning the African continent
   worked out an agreement whereby Britain, to obtain the Sultanate of
   Zanzibar, ceded its share of Heligoland to Germany and renounced all
   claims to Madagascar in favour of France. In 1895, a French flying
   column landed in Mahajanga (Majunga) and marched to the capital,
   Antananarivo, where the city’s defenders were taken by surprise, as
   they were expecting an attack from the much closer east coast. Twenty
   French soldiers died fighting and 6,000 died of malaria and other
   diseases before the second Franco-Hova War ended.

   Absolute French control over Madagascar was established by military
   force in 1895-1896, and in 1896 the French Parliament voted to annex
   Madagascar. The 103-year-old Merina monarchy ended with the royal
   family being sent into exile in Algeria. In December 1904, the Russian
   Baltic Fleet stopped at Diego Suarez for coal and provisions before
   sailing on to its doomed encounter with the Japanese Fleet in the
   Battle of Tsushima. Before leaving port the Russian sailors were
   required to put ashore the animals they had acquired, including
   monkeys, boa constrictors and one crocodile.
   An 1888 map of Madagascar
   Enlarge
   An 1888 map of Madagascar

   .

   During World War II, Malagasy troops fought in France, Morocco, and
   Syria. Immediately preceding the fall of France, Germany initiated
   planning to forcibly deport all of Europe's Jews to Madagascar in what
   was known as the Madagascar Plan. Action on the plan was never begun.
   After France fell to Germany, the Vichy government administered
   Madagascar. British troops occupied the strategic island in 1942 to
   preclude its seizure by the Japanese. The Free French received the
   island from the United Kingdom in 1943.

   In 1947, with French prestige at low ebb, a nationalist uprising was
   suppressed after several months of bitter fighting with 100,000 persons
   killed. The French subsequently established reformed institutions in
   1956 under the Loi Cadre ( Overseas Reform Act), and Madagascar moved
   peacefully toward independence. The Malagasy Republic was proclaimed on
   October 14, 1958, as an autonomous state within the French Community. A
   period of provisional government ended with the adoption of a
   constitution in 1959 and full independence on June 26, 1960.

Politics

   Madagascar's first President, Philibert Tsiranana, was elected when his
   Social Democratic Party gained power at independence in 1960 and was
   reelected without opposition in March 1972. However, he resigned only 2
   months later in response to massive antigovernment demonstrations. The
   unrest continued, and Tsiranana's successor, Gen. Gabriel Ramanantsoa,
   resigned on February 5, 1975, handing over executive power to Lt. Col.
   Richard Ratsimandrava, who was assassinated 6 days later. A provisional
   military directorate then ruled until a new government was formed in
   June 1975, under dictator Didier Ratsiraka.

   During the 16 subsequent years of President Ratsiraka's rule,
   Madagascar continued under a government committed to revolutionary
   socialism based on the 1975 Constitution establishing a highly
   centralized state. During this period a strategy of nationalization of
   private enterprises, centralization of the economy and "Malgasization"
   of the education system crippled the economy, leaving traces even today
   of a highly centralized economic system and a high level of illiteracy.
   National elections in 1982 and 1989 returned Ratsiraka for a second and
   third 7-year presidential term. For much of this period, only limited
   and restrained political opposition was tolerated, with no direct
   criticism of the president permitted in the press.

   With an easing of restrictions on political expression, beginning in
   the late 1980s, the Ratsiraka regime came under increasing pressure to
   make fundamental changes. In response to a deteriorating economy,
   Ratsiraka relaxed socialist economic policies and instituted some
   liberal, private-sector reforms. These, along with political reforms
   like the elimination of press censorship in 1989 and the formation of
   more political parties in 1990, were insufficient to placate a growing
   opposition movement known as Hery Velona ("Active Forces"). A number of
   already existing political parties and their leaders, among them Albert
   Zafy and Rakotoniaina Manandafy, anchored this movement which was
   especially strong in Antananarivo and the surrounding high plateau.

   In response to largely peaceful mass demonstrations and crippling
   general strikes, Ratsiraka replaced his prime minister in August 1991
   but suffered an irreparable setback soon thereafter when his troops
   fired on peaceful demonstrators marching on Iavoloha, the suburban
   presidential palace, killing more than 30.

   In an increasingly weakened position, Ratsiraka acceded to negotiations
   on the formation of a transitional government. The resulting " Panorama
   Convention" of October 31, 1991, stripped Ratsiraka of nearly all of
   his powers, created interim institutions, and set an 18-month timetable
   for completing a transition to a new form of constitutional government.
   The High Constitutional Court was retained as the ultimate judicial
   arbiter of the process.

   In March 1992, a widely representative National Forum organized by the
   FFKM (Malagasy Christian Council of Churches) drafted a new
   Constitution. Troops guarding the proceedings clashed with
   pro-Ratsiraka " federalists" who tried to disrupt the forum in protest
   of draft constitutional provisions preventing the incumbent president
   from running again. The text of the new Constitution was put to a
   nationwide referendum in August 1992 and approved by a wide margin,
   despite efforts by federalists to disrupt balloting in several coastal
   areas.

   Presidential elections were held on November 25, 1992, after the High
   Constitutional Court had ruled, over Hery Velona objections, that
   Ratsiraka could become a candidate. Runoff elections were held in
   February 1993, and the leader of the Hery Velona movement, Albert Zafy,
   defeated Ratsiraka. Zafy was sworn in as President on March 27, 1993.
   After President Zafy's impeachment by the National Assembly in 1996 and
   the short quasi-presidency of Norbert Ratsirahonana, the 1997 elections
   once again pitted Zafy and Ratsiraka, with Ratsiraka this time emerging
   victorious. A National Assembly dominated by members of President
   Ratsiraka'a political party AREMA subsequently passed the 1998
   Constitution, which considerably strengthened the presidency.

   In December 2001, a presidential election was held in which both major
   candidates claimed victory. The Ministry of the Interior declared
   incumbent Ratsiraka of the AREMA party victorious. Marc Ravalomanana
   contested the results and claimed victory. A political crisis followed
   in which Ratsiraka supporters destroyed bridges and cut major transport
   routes from the primary port city to the capital to isolate the capital
   city, a stronghold of Ravalomanana support. Sporadic violence and
   considerable economic disruption continued until July 2002 when
   Ratsiraka and several of his prominent supporters fled to exile in
   France. In addition to political differences, ethnic differences played
   a role in the crisis and continue to play a role in politics. Ratsiraka
   is from the coastal Betsimisaraka tribe and Ravalomanana comes from the
   highland Merina tribe.

   After the end of the 2002 political crisis, President Ravalomanana
   began many reform projects, forcefully advocating "rapid and durable
   development" and the launching of a battle against corruption. December
   2002 legislative elections gave his newly formed TIM
   (Tiako-I-Madagasikara) (I Love Madagascar) Party a commanding majority
   in the National Assembly. November 2003 municipal elections were
   conducted freely, returning a majority of supporters of the president,
   but also significant numbers of independent and regional opposition
   figures.

   Following the crisis of 2002, the President replaced provincial
   governors with appointed PDSs ( Presidents des Delegations Speciales).
   Subsequent legislation established a structure of 22 regions to
   decentralize administration. In September 2004, the Government named 22
   Regional Chiefs, reporting directly to the President, to implement its
   decentralization plans. Financing and specific powers for the regional
   administrations remain to be clarified.

   On November 18, 2006 General Fidy declared a military coup of President
   Marc Ravalomanana's government. Presidential elections are next due to
   be held on December 3, 2006. Until the coup, Marc Ravalomanana was
   expected to gain more support than any of the 14 candidates standing
   against him.

   On November 18 Ravalomanana's plane was forced to divert from
   Madagascar's capital during a return trip from Europe following reports
   of a coup underway in Antananarivo.

Government

   In March 1998, Malagasy voters approved a revised constitution. The
   principal institutions of the Republic of Madagascar are a presidency,
   a parliament ( National Assembly and Senate), a prime ministry and
   cabinet, and an independent judiciary. The president is elected by
   direct universal suffrage for a 5-year term, renewable twice.

   The National Assembly consists of 160 representatives elected by direct
   vote every 5 years. The last election was held in December 2002. The
   Senate consists of 90 senators, two-thirds elected by local legislators
   and other Grand Electors and one-third appointed by the president, all
   for 6-year terms. A prime minister and council of ministers carries out
   day-to-day management of government. The president appoints the prime
   minister.

   The prime minister and members of Parliament initiate legislation, and
   the government executes it. The president can dissolve the National
   Assembly. For its part, the National Assembly can pass a motion of
   censure and require the prime minister and council of ministers to step
   down. The Constitutional Court approves the constitutionality of new
   laws. Madagascar is also part of the Indian Ocean Commission.

Administrative Divisions

   During the second republic (1975-1991), Madagascar was divided into
   five levels of government:
    1. Faritany (province)
    2. Fivondronana (or fivondronampokontany)
    3. Firaisana (or firaisampokontany)
    4. Fokontany
    5. Fokonolona

   Today, there are four levels of division:
    1. Faritany mizakatena ( autonomous province)
    2. Faritra ( region)
    3. Departemanta ( department)
    4. Kaominina ( commune)

   The constitution of 1992 ruled that the country should be decentralized
   into territorial entities. The name, number, and limits of territorial
   entities should be determined by law. The law passed by the national
   assembly in 1994 defined three such entity levels: region ( faritra),
   department ( departemanta) and commune ( kaominina). The communes were
   created in 1996.

   With Didier Ratsiraka back in power, the constitution was changed in
   1998, to include and specifically mention six autonomous provinces,
   divided into undefined regions and communes. The autonomous provinces,
   having the same names and territories as the already existing
   provinces, were created in 2000.

   During the power struggle after the presidential elections in 2001,
   five of those provinces, whose governors supported Ratsiraka, declared
   themselves independent from the republic. The new president,
   Ravalomanana, replaced the provincial governments by special
   delegations, appointed by the president. This effectively means that
   the autonomous provinces have ceased to exist as such, although it
   remains unclear whether they will remain in place.

   In 2004, the regions were finally created by the national assembly in
   law no. 2004-001. Meanwhile the 28 regions originally proposed had
   become 22. Although they are subdivisions of the provinces, they are
   representatives (and representing the people) of the republic, not the
   province. The regions will also take over the assets of the
   "ex-Fivondronampokontany". It is also mentioned that the communes are
   the only entities that are operational, and there will be an
   unspecified period of transition to the new system. The departments are
   not mentioned in the law, instead the designation "components" of the
   regions is used. It appears that the departments will be based on the
   Fivondronampokontany, although it is unclear whether they are already
   in place and what it means that the assets will be taken over by the
   regions.

Provinces and regions

   Madagascar is divided into six autonomous provinces (faritany
   mizakatena), which in turn are divided into 22 regions:
     * Antananarivo (1)

          Analamanga
          Bongolava
          Itasy
          Vakinankaratra

     * Antsiranana (2)

          Diana
          Sava

                          * Fianarantsoa (3)

                               Amoron'i Mania
                               Atsimo Atsinanana
                               Haute-Matsiatra
                               Ihorombe
                               Vatovavy-Fitovinany

                          * Mahajanga (4)

                               Betsiboka
                               Boeny
                               Melaky
                               Sofia

                                              * Toamasina (5)

                                                   Alaotra Mangoro
                                                   Analanjirofo
                                                   Atsinanana

                                              * Toliara (6)

                                                   Androy
                                                   Anosy
                                                   Atsimo Andrefana
                                                   Menabe

Geography

   Map of Madagascar. Nosy means island in the Malagasy language.
   Enlarge
   Map of Madagascar. Nosy means island in the Malagasy language.

          Satellite image of Madagascar, generated from raster graphics
          data supplied by The Map Library

          Enlarge
          Satellite image of Madagascar, generated from raster graphics
          data supplied by The Map Library

   At 226,642 mi² (587,040 km²), Madagascar is the world's 46th-largest
   country (after Botswana) and its fourth largest island. It is
   comparable in size to Kenya.

   The east coast of Madagascar has lowlands leading to steep bluffs and
   central highlands. The Tsaratanana Massif in the north has volcanic
   mountains. The west coast has many protected harbors and broad plains,
   while the southwest is a plateau and desert region.

   There are two seasons: it is hot and rainy from November to April, and
   cooler and dry from May to October. Southeastern trade winds dominate,
   and there are occasional cyclones.

Ecology

   Tsingy in Madagascar
   Enlarge
   Tsingy in Madagascar

   Madagascar's long isolation from the neighboring continents has
   resulted in a unique mix of plants and animals, many found nowhere else
   in the world; some ecologists refer to Madagascar as the "eighth
   continent".

   The eastern, or windward side of the island is home to tropical
   rainforests, while the western and southern sides of the island, which
   lie in the rain shadow of the central highlands, are home to tropical
   dry forests, thorn forests, and deserts and xeric shrublands.
   Madagascar's dry deciduous forests have been preserved generally better
   than the eastern rainforests or the high central plateau, presumably
   due to historically less population density and scarcity of water.
   There has been some slash-and-burn activity, locally called 'tavy', in
   the eastern and western dry forests as well as the central high
   plateau, reducing certain forest habitat and applying pressure to some
   endangered species. Slash-and-burn is a method sometimes used by
   shifting cultivators to create short term yields from marginal soils.
   When practiced repeatedly, or without intervening fallow periods, the
   nutrient poor soils may be exhausted or eroded to an unproductive
   state. The resulting increased surface runoff from burned lands has
   caused significant erosion and resulting high sedimentation to western
   rivers. However, recent work^[ citations needed] has challenged this
   thesis, along with the widely held view that all of Madagascar was once
   forested.

Economy

   Structural reforms began in the late 1980s, initially under pressure
   from international financial institutions, notably the World Bank. An
   initial privatization program (1988-1993) and the development of an
   export processing zone (EPZ) regime in the early 1990s were key
   milestones in this effort. A period of significant stagnation from
   1991-96 was followed by 5 years of solid economic growth and
   accelerating foreign investment, driven by a second wave of
   privatizations and EPZ development. Although structural reforms
   advanced, governance remained weak and perceived corruption in
   Madagascar was extremely high. During the period of solid growth from
   1997 through 2001, poverty levels remained stubbornly high, especially
   in rural areas. A six-month political crisis triggered by a dispute
   over the outcome of the presidential elections held in December 2001
   virtually halted economic activity in much of the country in the first
   half of 2002. Real GDP dropped 12.7% for the year 2002, inflows of
   foreign investment dropped sharply, and the crisis tarnished
   Madagascar's budding reputation as an AGOA standout and a promising
   place to invest. Following resolution of the crisis, the economy
   rebounded with GDP growth of over 10% in 2003. Currency depreciation
   and rising inflation in 2004 have hampered economic performance, but
   growth for the year reached 5.3 percent, with inflation reaching around
   25% at the end of the year. In 2005 inflation was brought under control
   by tight monetary policy (the "Taux Directeur", or central bank rate,
   was raised to 16% and reserve requirements for banks tightened), and
   growth will reach around 6.5% in 2005.

   Following the 2002 political crisis, the government attempted to set a
   new course and build confidence, in coordination with international
   financial institutions and the donor community. Madagascar developed a
   recovery plan in collaboration with the private sector and donors and
   presented it at a "Friends of Madagascar" conference organized by the
   World Bank in Paris in July 2002. Donor countries demonstrated their
   confidence in the new government by pledging $1 billion in assistance
   over five years. The Malagasy Government identified road infrastructure
   as its principle priority and underlined its commitment to
   public-private partnership by establishing a joint public-private
   sector steering committee.

   In 2000, Madagascar embarked on the preparation of a Poverty Reduction
   Strategy Paper (PRSP) under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
   Initiative. The boards of the IMF and World Bank agreed in December
   2000 that the country had reached the decision point for debt relief
   under the HIPC Initiative and defined a set of conditions for
   Madagascar to reach the completion point. In October 2004, the boards
   of the IMF and the World Bank determined that Madagascar had reached
   the completion point under the enhanced HIPC Initiative.

   The Madagascar-U.S. Business Council was formed in Madagascar in 2002.
   The U.S.-Madagascar Business Council was formed in the United States in
   May 2003, and the two organizations continue to explore ways to work
   for the benefit of both groups.

   The government of President Ravalomanana is aggressively seeking
   foreign investment and is tackling many of the obstacles to such
   investment, including combating corruption, reforming land-ownership
   laws, encouraging study of American and European business techniques,
   and active pursuit of foreign investors. President Ravalomanana rose to
   prominence through his agro-foods TIKO company, and is known for
   attempting to apply many of the lessons learned in the world of
   business to running the government. Some recent concerns have arisen
   about the conflict of interest between the policies pursued by
   President and the activities his firms, most notably with preferential
   treatment for rice imports initiated by the government in late 2004
   responding to a production shortfall in the country.

   Madagascar's sources of growth are tourism; textile and light
   manufacturing exports (notably through the EPZs); agricultural products
   (the country is the world's leading producer of vanilla, accounting for
   about half the world's export market); and mining. Tourism targets the
   niche eco-tourism market, capitalizing on Madagascar's unique
   biodiversity, unspoiled natural habitats, national parks and lemur
   species. Exports from the EPZs, located around Antananarivo and
   Antsirabe, consist the most part of garment manufacture, targeting the
   US market under AGOA and the European markets under the Everything But
   Arms (EBA) agreement. Agricultural exports consist of low volume high
   value products like vanilla, litchies and essential oils. Mining
   investment is beginning to take off following the introduction of a new
   law opening the country up to foreign mining companies. A large mining
   investment by Rio Tinto in the Fort Dauphin region, to exploit ilmenite
   (titanium dioxide), is expected by late 2005, and other projects in
   ilmenite (Ticor/Kumba in Tulear) and nickel (Dynatec/Implats near
   Tamatave) could also be launched in the coming months.

Foreign relations

   Madagascar, which has historically been perceived as on the margin of
   mainstream African affairs, eagerly rejoined the African Union in July
   2003 after a 14-month hiatus triggered by the 2002 political crisis.
   From 1978 until 1991, then-President Ratsiraka emphasized independence
   and nonalignment and followed an "all points" policy stressing ties
   with socialist and radical regimes, including North Korea, Cuba, Libya,
   and Iran. Taking office in 1993, President Albert Zafy expressed his
   desire for diplomatic relations with all countries. Early in his
   tenure, he established formal ties with South Korea and sent emissaries
   to Morocco.

   Starting in 1997, globalization encouraged the government and President
   Ratsiraka to adhere to market-oriented policies and to engage world
   markets. External relations reflect this trend, although Madagascar's
   physical isolation and strong traditional insular orientation have
   limited its activity in regional economic organizations and relations
   with its East African neighbors. It enjoys closer and generally good
   relations with its Indian Ocean neighbors -- Mauritius, Réunion, and
   Comoros. Active relationships with Europe, especially France, Germany,
   and Switzerland, as well as with Britain, Russia, Japan, India, and
   China have been strong since independence. More recently, President
   Ravalomanana has cultivated strong links with the United States, and
   Madagascar was the first country to benefit from the Millennium
   Challenge Account (MCA). Madagascar is also a member of the
   International Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of
   protection for the US-military (as covered under Article 98).

   President Ravalomanana has stated that he welcomes relations with all
   countries interested in helping Madagascar to develop. He has
   consciously sought to strengthen relations with Anglophone countries as
   a means of balancing traditionally strong French influence.

Demographics

   Antananarivo, Madagascar
   Enlarge
   Antananarivo, Madagascar

   Madagascar's population is predominantly of mixed Austronesian and
   African origin, though those who are visibly Austronesian in appearance
   and culture are the minority, found in the highland regions. Recent
   research suggests that the island was uninhabited until Malay seafarers
   arrived between about 2,000 to 1,500 years ago. Recent DNA research
   shows that the Malagasy are approximately of half Malay and half East
   African stock, although some Arab, Indian and European influence is
   present along the coast. The Malagasy language shares some 90% of its
   basic vocabulary with the Maanyan language from the region of the
   Barito River in southern Borneo.

   Subsequent migrations from both the East Indies and Africa further
   consolidated this original mixture, and 36 separate tribal groups
   emerged. Asian features are most predominant in the Merina (3
   million) ; the coastal people (called côtiers) are of more clearly
   African origin.

   The largest coastal groups are the Betsimisaraka (1.5 million) and the
   Tsimihety and Sakalava (700,000 each). The Vezo live in the southwest.
   Two of the southern tribes are the Antandroy and the Antanosy.

   In 1993 (last census) there were 18,497 foreign residents on
   Madagascar, or 0.15 percent of the population.

Language

   The Malagasy language is of Malayo-Polynesian origin and is generally
   spoken throughout the island. French is spoken among the educated
   population of this former French colony. English, although still rare,
   is becoming more widely spoken and in 2003 the government began a pilot
   project of introducing the teaching of English into the primary grades
   of 44 schools, with hopes of taking the project nationwide. Many Peace
   Corps volunteers are serving to further this effort and train teachers.

   In the first Constitution of Madagascar (1960), Malagasy and French
   were named the "official languages of the republic". In the current
   Constitution, there is no official language mentioned, instead Malagasy
   is named the "national language". In a case where a citizen had claimed
   unconstitutional the publication of official documents in the French
   language only, The High Constitutional Court has observed in its
   decision that, in the absence of a language law, French still has the
   character of an official language.

Religion

   Approximately half of the country's population practices traditional
   religions, which tend to emphasize links between the living and the
   dead. The Merina in the highlands particularly tend to hold tightly to
   this practice. They believe that the dead join their ancestors in the
   ranks of divinity and that ancestors are intensely concerned with the
   fate of their living descendants. The Merina and Betsileo reburial
   practice of famadihana, or "turning over the dead" celebrate this
   spiritual communion. In this ritual, relatives' remains are removed
   from the family tomb, rewrapped in new silk shrouds, and returned to
   the tomb following festive ceremonies in their honour where sometimes
   the bodies are lifted and carried high above the celebrants heads with
   singing and dancing before returning them to the tomb.

   About 45% of the Malagasy are Christian, divided almost evenly between
   Catholics and Protestants. Many incorporate the cult of the dead with
   their religious beliefs and bless their dead at church before
   proceeding with the traditional burial rites. They also may invite a
   pastor to attend a famadihana. The Roman Catholic church is open to its
   members continuing these practices, while more conservative protestant
   denominations tend to condemn them to be superstitions or demon worship
   that should be abandoned. Many of the Christian churches are
   influential in politics. The best example of this is the Malagasy
   Council of Churches (FFKM) comprised of the four oldest and most
   prominent christian denominations ( Roman Catholic, Reformed
   Protestant, Lutheran and Anglican). In the coastal regions of the
   provinces of Mahajanga and Antsiranana (Diego Suarez), Muslims
   constitute a significant minority. Muslims are divided between those of
   Malagasy ethnicity, Indo-Pakistanis, and Comorians.

Culture

     * Tranofalafa.com - All About Madagascar
     * Music of Madagascar
     * List of writers from Madagascar

     * Salegy is a popular music form. There is a sudden interest in
       American culture and European popular culture, which is eroding the
       more traditional culture, and especially the music.

     * The Malagasy economy took a brief downturn during the 1980s when
       Coca-Cola, the world's leading purchaser of vanilla, switched to
       the New Coke formula that contained synthetic vanillin. The
       situation reversed itself when the company reintroduced its classic
       formula.

Geographic locale

   Indian Ocean Indian Ocean
   Flag of Mozambique  Mozambique  Image:Template CanadianCityGeoLocation
   West.png   Mozambique Channel North
   West    Flag of Madagascar  Madagascar     East
   South
   Indian Ocean Indian Ocean

   Countries of Southern Africa

   Angola • Botswana • Lesotho • Madagascar • Malawi • Mauritius •
   Mozambique • Namibia • South Africa • Swaziland • Zambia • Zimbabwe
   Countries and territories on the Indian Ocean

   Eurasia: Bahrain • Bangladesh • Christmas Island • Cocos (Keeling)
   Islands • India • Indonesia • Iran • Iraq • Israel • Kuwait • Malaysia
   • Maldives • Myanmar • Oman • Pakistan • Qatar • Saudi Arabia • Sri
   Lanka • Thailand • United Arab Emirates • Yemen

   Africa: Comoros • Djibouti • Eritrea • Kenya • Madagascar • Mauritius •
   Mayotte • Mozambique • Seychelles • Somalia • Somaliland • South Africa
   • Sudan • Tanzania

   Oceania: Australia • Christmas Island • Cocos (Keeling) Islands

   Islands: Bahrain • Christmas Island • Cocos (Keeling) Islands •
   Madagascar • Maldives • Mauritius • Mayotte • Seychelles • Sri Lanka
   Flag of the SADC    Member states of the Southern African Development
   Community

   Angola • Botswana • Democratic Republic of the Congo • Lesotho •
   Madagascar • Malawi • Mauritius • Mozambique • Namibia • Seychelles •
   South Africa • Swaziland • Tanzania • Zambia • Zimbabwe
   Member states of the African Union

   Algeria • Angola • Benin • Botswana • Burkina Faso • Burundi •
   Cameroon • Cape Verde • Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros •
   Democratic Republic of the Congo • Republic of the Congo •
   Côte d'Ivoire • Djibouti • Egypt • Eritrea • Ethiopia •
   Equatorial Guinea • Gabon • The Gambia • Ghana • Guinea •
   Guinea-Bissau • Kenya • Lesotho • Liberia • Libya • Madagascar •
   Malawi • Mali • Mauritania • Mauritius • Mozambique • Namibia • Niger •
   Nigeria • Rwanda • São Tomé and Príncipe • Senegal • Seychelles •
   Sierra Leone • Somalia • South Africa • Sudan • Swaziland • Tanzania •
   Togo • Tunisia • Uganda • Western Sahara  (SADR) • Zambia • Zimbabwe
   Francophonie
   Members: Belgium • Benin • Bulgaria • Burkina Faso • Burundi • Cambodia
   • Cameroon • Canada • New Brunswick • Quebec • Ontario • Cape Verde •
   Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros • Côte d'Ivoire • Cyprus •
   Democratic Republic of the Congo • Djibouti • Dominica • Egypt •
   Equatorial Guinea • France • French Guiana • Gabon • Ghana • Guadeloupe
   • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Haiti • Laos • Lebanon • Madagascar • Mali •
   Martinique • Mauritania • Mauritius • Morocco • Niger • Republic of the
   Congo • Romania • Rwanda • Saint Lucia • São Tomé and Príncipe •
   Senegal • Seychelles • Saint-Pierre and Miquelon • Switzerland • Togo •
   Tunisia • Ukraine • Vanuatu • Vietnam

   Observers: Armenia • Austria • Croatia • Czech Republic • Georgia •
   Hungary • Lithuania • Mozambique • Poland • Serbia • Slovakia •
   Slovenia • Ukraine
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
