Official name

Repoblikan'i Madagasikara (Madagascan)
République de Madagascar (French)

Area

587.041 km ² (World rank 44)

Geographical location

40° - 50° O / 12° - 25° S

Highest elevation

Maromokotro 2,886 m

Longest river

Mangoky 560 km

Population

17 million inhabitants

Population density

29 inhabitats per square km

Population distribution

Town: 30%
Land: 70%

Population growth

3,03%

Birth rate

4,29%

Death rate

1,27%

Capital

Antananarivo (Tana): 47° 32' O 18° 55' S
estimated 1,5 mio. inhabitants today

Type of state

Republic

Independence

June 26th, 1960 (from France)

Administration structure

6 provinces

Official languages

Malagasy and French

International characteristic

RM

Religions

52% believers in local natural religions,
23% Roman Catholics,
18% Protestants,
7% Muslims

ethnic main groups

99% Madagascans (Malagasy), of this:
Merina (26%)
Betsimisaraka (15%)
Betsileo (12%)
the rest minorities as:
Chinese, French, Komorer and Indian

Life expectancy  

Altogether: 56.2 years
women: 58.5 years
men: 53.8 years

Child mortality

8,2%

Percentage of literates   

Altogether: 80.8%
women: 77.4%
men: 84.1%

Currency

Ariary (previously: FMG; 1 Ariary = 5 FMG)
Online currency converter
Currency cheat sheet

Gross domestic product
2002
(in brackets comparison
data of 1993)  

3.878 thousand millions US dollars
per inhabitant 250 US $ from
farming: 35% (42%)
industry: 13% (16%)
service: 52% (42%)

Main export products
1999

Coffee: 19%
mineral products: 15%
fish: 15%
textiles: 10%
vanilla: 5%

additional business statistics
2002

Unemployment: 6.0%
rate of inflation: 5%
foreign countries debts: 4.7 billion US $

Madagascar

Germany

km ²

%

km ²

%

Area

587.041

100%

456.970

100%

Area of arable land

25.830

4,4%

121.370

34%

Woods area

145.000

25%

107.400

30%

Expanse of water

5.500

0,9%

7.798

2,2%

Protectorates

13.657

2,3%

13.257

3,7%

Populaton

16 Mio.

82 Mio.

Illiterates

20%

1%

Area
1000km ²

%

Mammals

%

Amphibians

World

147,855

100%

4,050

100%

4.500

Europe

10,532

7%

205

5%

45

Germany

357

0,2%

98

2,4%

21

Madagascar

587

0,4%

123

3,0%

144