Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name 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 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to Madagascar. Most notable are the lemur infraorder of primates, the carnivorous fossa, three endemic bird families and six endemic baobab species.
The Malagasy language (pronounced Mal-gash) 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.
Madagascar is divided into six autonomous provinces (faritany mizakatena), and 22 regions. The regions will be the highest subdivision level when the provinces are dissolved.
Madagascar is a poor country, with over 70% of the population falling below the poverty level of $50 a year. Its agriculture-based economy supports a majority of the labor force. There are substantial mineral deposits; and industry, which accounted for 11% of GDP in 1999, is centered on food processing. Madagascar sponsored an Export Processing Zone in 1991 and important investments have been made in tourism. Government efforts to strengthen the market economy have been erratic while corruption and political instability continue to constrain growth. The country's infrastructure remains poor, with inadequate roads preventing the transportation of agricultural products from farm to market. Railroads and the port system are also undeveloped, although the telecommunications system is being revamped. The IMF and World Bank in 2000 released tranches of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, and Structural Adjustment Credit, respectively, to assist the country in reducing poverty and implementing market reforms conducive to private sector development. Also in 2000, Madagascar was approved to receive debt relief under the IMF/World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.
The agricultural sector, which accounted for 34% of GDP in 1999, is prone to cyclone damage and drought. Rice is the staple crop although Madagascar has sought to diversify crop production by promoting maize and potatoes. Cassava, bananas, and sweet potatoes are also important. Export crops are coffee, vanilla, and cloves, with coffee the most important. A decline in world coffee prices by 2003 had held back growth. The sugar sector has been revived with the help of French investments.
Though Madagascar has a considerable diversity of minerals, their remote locations have discouraged extraction. Chromite, graphite, and mica are exported along with gems such as topaz, garnets, and amethysts. Private mining interests have been invited to develop Madagascar's gold deposits, as well as ilmenite, zircon, rutile, nickel, platinum, and bauxite. There has also been renewed interest in Madagascar's oil potential.
Madagascar is rich in biodiversity, and many plants and animals found there exist nowhere else in the world. Hence, ecotourism is a sector of the economy with great potential for development.
Approximately half of the country's population practises 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", celebrates 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, Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar, Lutheran and Anglican). Islam in Madagascar constitutes about 7% of the population.