- Social indicator
Population : 20,600,000 (2011 estimate)
Annual population Growth Rate : 3%
Adult literacy rate : 82%
Life expectancy : 63 years
Religions : indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian 41%, Muslim 7%
- Geography
Full name : Republic of Madagascar (Repoblikan’l Madagasikara)
Area: 587,040 km2 (world’s fourth largest-island) as well as numerous smaller peripheral islands, the largest of which include Nosy Be and Nosy Boraha (Sainte-Marie Island)
Capital City : Antananarivo
Major cities : Antsirabe, Antsiranana (Diégo Suarez), Fianarantsoa,Toliara (Tuléar), Taolagnaro (Fort Dauphin), Toamasina (Tamatave),Mahajanga (Majunga),
Main international airport : Ivato airport, Antananarivo (TNR)
Other main airports: Antsiranana (DIE), Mahajanga (MJN), Morondava(MOQ), Nosy be (NOS), Sambava (SVB), Toamasina (TMM), Taolagnaro(FTU), Toliara (TLE)
- Useful information
Official Languages : Malagasy, French, English
Time Zone : GMT+3
International Dialing Code : +261
Internet Domain : .mg
Currency : Ariary (Ar ; MGA)
Official days off : Jan, Ist; March, 29 th; Easter (movable); May, Ist; Ascension Day (movable); Whit Monday (movable); June, 26th; August, 15st; Nov,lst; December, 25th; December 31st
Visa : Required for all tourists, available at arrival; max 30 days Weather (links)
- Politics and economy
Head of government : Jean RAVELONARIVO
GDP per capita, purchasing-power-parity : US$I,OOO
Primary Products : vanilla, seafood, livestock, rice, cassava, pepper, sugar cane, litchi, cocoa, coffee, cloves, timber, mangoes, corn (maize), potatoes, peanuts
Other Natural Resources : nickel, ilmenite, chromite, cobalt, sapphire, ruby, garnet, beryl, emerald, gold, zirconium, bauxite, niobium, labradorite, copper, lead, manganese, platinum, zinc, uranium, mica, tin, graphite
Main Exports : clothing and textile products, shrimp, petroleum products, vanilla, cloves, cacao, coffee, lychees, sisal, pepper, essential oils, medicinal herbs and plants, cinnamon, peanuts
Main Export Partners : France, USA, Germany, China, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Mauritius
Main Import partners : China, Bahrain, France, South Africa, India, USA, Germany, Mauritius, Thailand
Main Industries : food processing, mining, oil refining, forestry, cement, breweries, tanneries, soap, paper, textiles, tourism, automobile assembly
Age of eligibility to vote : 18 years.
- BY AIR
You can get to Madagascar from all over the world. Planes are the main transportation as Madagascar is an island. Nevertheless, most of the cruises which go across the Indian Ocean have Madagascar in their itinerary.
- From Europe
From the all Europeans countries : there are no direct flights to Madagascar, but
» Kenya Airways flies from all the main European capital cities to Nairobi then to Antananarivo
» Air France flies from all the main European capital cities to Paris ( every day’s flight ) then to Antananarivo
» Turkish Airlines flies from all the main European capital cities to Istanbul, Mauritius then to Antananarivo
» Air Madagascar (www.airmadagascar.com) directly flies between Paris and Antananarivo almost every day; taking 10 % hours.
» TUI Airways fly from more than 21 UK airports, direct to over 70 worldwide destinations, including Mauritius (MRU) airport.
- From the US
» South African Airways, KLM, Air France and Delta offer indirect flights to Madagascar from New York and Chicago.
» Delta, KLM and Air France indirectly fly to Madagascar from San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis and Detroit.
»
Air France, KLM and Thai Airways indirectly fly to Madagascar from Los Angeles.
»
Air France, South African Airways and KLM offer indirect flights to Madagascar from Washington.
» KLM and Delta indirectly fly to Madagascar from Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City and Seattle.
