Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is located about 400 kilometers (250 miles) off the west coast of southern Africa in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique. It has a tropical climate along its narrow coastal plain and a temperate climate in its mountainous center. The country is the world's fourth largest island, slightly smaller than Texas. Among its modest natural resources are graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, mica, some semiprecious stones, and fish. The economy is overwhelmingly agricultural, with 85 percent of the population employed in farming of some sort. According to the CIA World Factbook, Madagascar had a population of nearly 17 million in 2003.
(MAP BY MARYLAND CARTOGRAPHICS/THE GALE GROUP)Once an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1885, before reestablishing its full independence in 1960. These negotiations for independence were led by President Philibert Tsiranana (1912–1978), who was firmly committed to maintaining positive relations with the West. In consolidating power just after independence, Tsiranana saw to it that his party, whose main source of support was the middle class, maintained political control of the country. This suppression of opposition parties combined with extended economic stagnation eventually led to high levels of political instability, with nationwide protests that included students, workers, and peasants.
These circumstances caused President Tsiranana to dissolve the First Republic and surrender control of the country to the Malagasy military in 1973. Didier Ratsiraka (b. 1936), a military officer and dedicated Marxist, took power and was elected president by referendum in 1975, receiving 95 percent of the vote. However, both the suppression of civil liberties and Ratsiraka's willingness to make capitalist economic adjustments eroded his base of support, until he was forced to hold new national elections in 1993. He lost to chief opposition leader Albert Zafy (b. 1927). Ratsiraka was then reelected in 1996 following allegations of Zafy's abuse of power and an economic crisis. Nonetheless, Ratsiraka was defeated again in a contested election, where after a brief electoral dispute Marc Ravalomanana (b. 1949) was declared the winner and Ratsiraka left the country.
Madagascar is a multiparty republican form of government based on French civil law and Malagasy traditional law, with universal suffrage for every citizen eighteen or older. Its constitution, adopted in 1992 and revised in 1998, gives extensive powers to the president, although in theory it divides power between the branches of government. The executive branch consists of the president, a prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president, and a Council of Ministers chosen by the prime minister. The legislative branch is bicameral, consisting of the National Assembly, which is directly elected, and the Senate, two-thirds of which is elected with the remaining third appointed by the president. As of 2004 the legislative bodies were dominated by a coalition of left-of-center political parties. The judicial branch features a Supreme Court, which has broad powers of judicial review. Several other lower courts also exist, reflecting a complex legal system stressing the importance of the rule of law. Built into the constitution of Madagascar are guarantees of freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
Bibliography
"Madagascar" CIA World Factbook. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2005. <http://www.cia.gov/cia/publicat ions/factbook/geos/ma.html>.
McEvedy, Colin. The Penguin Atlas of African History, 2nd ed. Hong Kong: Penguin Books, 1995.
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