|RConstitution:|N Republic with real authority in hands of president.
|RNational holiday:|N Independence Day, June 26.
|RNature and climate:|N Madagascar is the world's fourth island. High mountains in the east with a highest peak, Tsaratanana, reaching 2876 m.a.s.l., sloping to the west.
Rainforests used to dominate the landscape but the touch of the human hand, and annual grassfires have devastated most of it.
There are many endemic species both in flora and fauna. About 80% of the 7500 different plants are endemic. Of more than 180 species of birds 120 are endemic as are 240 species of reptiles.
70% of the natural vegetation and 90% of the forests have been devastated by mankind and that threatens many animals.
Average temperature varies between 20 and 27°C by the coast and is 5 to 10°C lower in the mountains.
Percipitation between 2000 and 3000 mm by the eastern coast and about 500 mm on the western coast.
|RPeople:|N Several different tribes of Malayan-Indonesian origin, biggest is Merina 30%. By the coast Malayan-Indonesians mixed with Africans and Arabs.
|REconomy:|N 90% of the labour force is occupied in agriculture.
Madagaskar is world leading in cloves and vanilla, but coffee accounts for more than 50% of the export value.
There is an extensive stockraizing.
Chief crops are coffee, cloves, vanilla, rice, sugar, sisal, tobacco and peanuts.
Most important minerals are chromium, graphite, coal, bauxite, gold, uranium and gems.
Food processing and textiles are the most important industries.
|RHistory:|N About 2000 years ago Madagaskar was settled by Malayan-Indonesian people, whose descendants still dominate.
The Portuguese trader Diego Diaz visited the island about 1500 AD and found several Arabian trade centers there.
The island was then divided in several realms. Most powerful of these was the Merina kingdom and in 1810 king Radama I of Merina united the whole island in one country called Madagaskar. Four queens governed the country most of the 19th century.
Madagaskar was made a French protectorate in 1885 and a colony in 1896.
It was occupied by the British during World War II and was handed back to France after the war.
In 1946 it was declared a natural part of France and was granted selfrule in 1958. In 1960 Madagaskar became an independent republic.
After a socialist coup in 1972 most foreign-owned estate and industry was nationalized.
In 1990 political parties became legal and in 1993 free elections were held and a new president was elected.
