Geographic Statistics:
Population: 15,506,472 (July 2000 est.)
Independence: 26 June 1960 (from France)
Capital: Antananarivo
Shared Borders: Indian Ocean; World's third largest island.
Highest Elevation: Maromokotro; 2,876 m
Lowest Elevation: Indian Ocean; 0 m
Environmental Statistics:
Climate: Tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south.
Terrain: Narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center.
Average Rainfall:
Temperature Extremes:
Population Statistics:
Main Languages: French (official), Malagasy (official)
Main Religions: Indigenous beliefs; 52%, Christian; 41%, Muslim;
7%
Population growth rate: 3.02% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 42.92 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 12.69 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.95 years
male: 52.71 years
female: 57.26 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.84 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Literacy: (People age 15 and over that can read and write)
total population: 80%
male: 88%
female: 73%
Economic Statistics:
Currency: Malagasy Frank/ Airary; 1 Malagasy franc (FMG) = 100
centimes
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $780 (1999 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.5% (1999)
Unemployment rate: N/A.
Telephones - main lines in use: 33,000 (1995)
Telephones - mobile cellular: N/A.
Number of People per Telephone Line: 470
