Madagascar

Area: 587,041 sq km (226,658 sq miles).

Population: 15,529,000 (official estimate 2001).

Population Density: 26.5 per sq km.

Capital: Antananarivo (formerly Tananarive). Population: 1,111,392 (official estimate 2001).

GEOGRAPHY: Madagascar, the fourth-largest island in the world, lies in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique. It includes several much smaller islands. A central chain of high mountains, the Hauts Plateaux, occupies more than half of the main island and is responsible for the marked differences – ethnically, climatically and scenically – between the east and west coasts. The narrow strip of lowlands on the east coast, settled from the sixth century by Polynesian seafarers, is largely covered by dense rainforests, whereas the broader west-coast landscape, once covered by dry deciduous forests, is now mostly savannah. The east coast receives the monsoon and, on both coasts, the climate is wetter towards the north. The southern tip of the island is semi-desert, with great forests of cactus-like plants. The capital, Antananarivo, is high up in the Hauts Plateaux near the island’s centre. Much of Madagascar’s flora and fauna is unique to the island. There are 3000 endemic species of butterfly; the many endemic species of lemurs fill the niches occupied elsewhere by animals as varied as racoons, monkeys, marmots, bushbabies and sloths. There is a similar diversity of reptiles, amphibians and birds (especially ducks), and also all levels of plant life.

Government: Republic since 1992. Gained independence from France in 1960. Head of State: President Marc Ravalomanana since 2002. Head of Government: Prime Minister Jean-Jacques Rasolondraibe since 2002.

Language: The official languages are Malagasy (which is related to Indonesian) and French. Local dialects are also spoken. Very little English is spoken.

Religion: 51 per cent follow animist beliefs, about 43 per cent Christian; remainder Muslim.

Time: GMT + 3.

Electricity: Mostly 127/220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are generally two-pin.

Communications:

Telephone: IDD is available to major towns. Country code: 261, followed by a two-digit number for an access provider: 20 for TELMA (the most reliable), 30 for Telecel, 31 for Sacel, 32 for SRR and 33 for Madacom. (A standard dialling code is expected to be introduced soon.) After the international and access codes, numbers should be seven digits including two initial digits for the geographical area. Outgoing international code: 16.

Mobile telephone: GSM 900 network in use. Main network providers are Madacom and Orange Madagascar (website: www.orange.mg). Coverage reaches major cities and main roads.

Internet: Public Internet access exists in large cities; there are a few Internet cafes in Antananarivo.

Telegram: The main post office (PTT) in Antananarivo offers a 24-hour telegram transmission service.

Post: The Poste Restante facilities at main post offices are the most reliable option. Airmail to Europe takes at least seven days and surface mail three to four months.

Press: There are no English-language newspapers; six dailies are published in French and/or Malagasy. The main papers include La Gazette de la Grande, Madagascar Tribune and Midi Madagasikara.

Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.