tal population: 68.9%
male: 75.5%
female: 62.5% (2003 est.)

Government Madagascar

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar
conventional short form: Madagascar
local short form: Madagascar
former: Malagasy Republic
local long form: Republique de Madagascar

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Antananarivo

Administrative divisions:
6 provinces (faritany); Antananarivo, Antsiranana, Fianarantsoa,
Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara

Independence:
26 June 1960 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 June (1960)

Constitution:
19 August 1992 by national referendum

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and traditional Malagasy law; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Marc RAVALOMANANA (since 6 May 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Jacques SYLLA (27 May 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 16 December 2001 (next to be held NA November
2006); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: percent of vote - Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 37.7%,
Marc RAVALOMANANA (TIM) 50.5%

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (160 seats;
members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms); Senate (100 seats; two-thirds of the seats filled by
regional assemblies whose members will be elected by popular vote;
the remaining one-third of the seats appointed by the president; all
members will serve four-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 15 December 2002 (next to
be held NA 2006)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - TIM 103, FP 22, AREMA 3, LEADER/Fanilo 2, RPSD 5,
others 3, independents 22

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional Court or Haute
Cour Constitutionnelle

Political parties and leaders:
Association for the Rebirth of Madagascar or AREMA [Pierrot
RAJAONARIVO]; Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National
Recovery 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