ars of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential
race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, was
returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was
contested between the followers of Didier RATSIRAKA and Marc
RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing secession of half of the country. In
April 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the
winner. RAVALOMANANA is now in his second term following a landslide
victory in the generally free and fair presidential elections of
2006.

Geography
Madagascar

Location:

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:

20 00 S, 47 00 E

Map references:

Africa

Area:

total: 587,040 sq km
land: 581,540 sq km
water: 5,500 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

Land boundaries:

0 km

Coastline:

4,828 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m isobath

Climate:

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Terrain:

narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m

Natural resources:

graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands,
semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 5.03%
permanent crops: 1.02%
other: 93.95% (2005)

Irrigated land:

10,860 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

337 cu km (1984)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 14.96 cu km/yr (3%/2%/96%)
per capita: 804 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation

Environment - current issues:

soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing;
desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and
other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna
unique to the island

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

world's fourth-largest islan