oast, 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: 4% permanent crops: 1% other: 95% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 10,900 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic cyclones

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

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: world's fourth-largest island; strategic location
along Mozambique Channel

People Madagascar

Population: 16,473,477 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 45% (male 3,713,700; female 3,696,478) 15-64
years: 51.8% (male 4,227,931; female 4,313,940) 65 years and over: 3.2%
(male 241,699; female 279,729) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.03% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 42.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 12.15 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 81.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 58.11 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 5.77 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.15% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 11,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 870 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Malagasy (singular and plural) adjective: Malagasy

Ethnic groups: Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers
(mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka,
Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

Religions: indigenous beliefs 52%, Christia