overy or LEADER/Fanilo [Herizo RAZAFIMAHALEO]; Fihaonana
Party or FP [Guy-Willy RAZANAMASY]; I Love Madagascar or TIM [Marc
RAVALOMANANA]; Renewal of the Social Democratic Party or RPSD
[Evariste MARSON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Committee for the Defense of Truth and Justice or KMMR; Committee
for National Reconciliation or CRN [Albert Zafy]; National Council
of Christian Churches or FFKM

International organization participation:

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, SADC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Jocelyn Bertin RADIFERA
chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525, 5526
FAX: [1] (202) 265-3034
consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador R. Niels MARQUARDT
embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo 101
mailing address: B. P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo
telephone: [261] (20) 22-212-57, 22-212-73, 22-209-56
FAX: [261] (20) 22-345-39

Flag description:

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical
white band of the same width on hoist side

Economy
Madagascar

Economy - overview:

Having discarded past socialist economic policies, Madagascar has
since the mid 1990s followed a World Bank- and IMF-led policy of
privatization and liberalization. This strategy placed the country
on a slow and steady growth path from an extremely low level.
Agriculture, including fishing and forestry, is a mainstay of the
economy, accounting for more than one-fourth of GDP and employing
80% of the population. Exports of apparel have boomed in recent
years primarily due to duty-free access to the US. Deforestation and
erosion, aggravated by the use of firewood as the primary source of
fuel, are serious concerns. President RAVALOMANANA has worked
aggressively to revive the economy following the 2002 political
crisis, which triggered a 12% drop in GDP that year. Poverty
reduction and combating corruption will be the centerpieces of
economic policy for the next few years.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$18.44 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$7.