Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Madagascar
conventional short form: Madagascar
local long form: Republique de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara
local short form: Madagascar/Madagasikara
former: Malagasy Republic
etymology: the name "Madageiscar" was first used by the 13th-century Venetian explorer Marco POLO, as a corrupted transliteration of Mogadishu, the Somali port with which POLO confused the island
Government type:
semi-presidential republic
Capital:
name: Antananarivo
geographic coordinates: 18 55 S, 47 31 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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:
history: previous 1992; latest passed by referendum 17 November 2010, promulgated 11 December 2010
amendments: proposed by the president of the republic in consultation with the cabinet or supported by a least two-thirds of both the Senate and National Assembly membership; passage requires at least three-fourths approval of both the Senate and National Assembly and approval in a referendum; constitutional articles including the form and powers of government, the sovereignty of the state, and the autonomy of Madagascar’s collectivities cannot be amended (2017)
Legal system:
civil law system based on the old French civil code and customary law in matters of marriage, family, and obligation
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship:
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Madagascar; in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the mother must be a citizen
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: unknown
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hery Martial RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA Rakotoarimana (since 25 January 2014)
head of government: Prime Minister Olivier Mahafaly SOLONANDRASANA (since 13 April 2016)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 25 October and 20 December 2013 (next to be held in 2018); prime minister nominated by the National Assembly, appointed by the president
election results: Hery Martial RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA elected president in second round; percent of vote - Hery Martial RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA (HVM) 53.5%, Jean Louis ROBINSON (AVANA) 46.5%
note: on 17 March 2009, democratically elected President Marc RAVALOMANANA stepped down, handing the government over to the military, which in turn conferred the presidency on opposition leader and Antananarivo mayor Andry RAJOELINA; a power-sharing agreement established a 15-month transition period to conclude with a general election in 2010, which failed to occur; a subsequent agreement aimed for an early 2013 election - the first round was held on 25 October 2013 and the second on 20 December 2013
Legislative branch:
description: bicameral; consists of the Senate or Antenimieran-Doholona (dissolved following the 2009 coup and reestablished in December 2015) (63 seats; 42 members indirectly elected by an electoral college of municipal, communal, regional, and provincial leaders and 21 appointed by the president of the republic; members serve 6-year terms)and the National Assembly or Antenimierampirenena (151 seats; 87 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 64 directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held on 20 December 2013 (next to be held in 2019); Senate - last held 29 December 2015 (next to be held in 2021)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - MAPAR 17.3%, MR 10.8%, VPM MMM 8.2%, PHI 3.8%, AMHM 3.5%, LEADER-Fanilo 2.8%, FFF 1.6%, AIM 1.0%, SFN 0.3%, independent and other 50.6%; seats by party - MAPAR 49, MR 20, VPM MMM 13, PHI 5, AMHM 2, LEADER-Fanilo 5, FFF 2, AIM 2, SFN 2, other 22, independent 25, seats with delayed elections 4; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - TIM 3, MAPAR 2, LEADER-Fanilo 1, independent 2; appointed by the President 21
Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour Supreme (consists of 11 members; addresses judicial administration issues only); High Constitutional Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle (consists of 9 members); note - the judiciary includes a High Court of Justice responsible for adjudicating crimes and misdemeanors by government officials including the president
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court heads elected by the president and judiciary officials to serve single-renewable, 3-year terms; High Constitutional Court members appointed - 3 each by the president, by both legislative bodies, and by the Council of Magistrates; members serve single, 6-year terms
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; provincial and city tribunals
Political parties and leaders:
AVANA Party [Jean-Louis ROBINSON]
Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National Recovery or LEADER-Fanilo [Manasse ESOAVELOMANDROSO]
Green Party/Parti Vert or AMHM [Sarah Georget RABEHARISOA]
I Love Madagascar (Tiako I Madagasikara) or TIM [Marc RAVALOMANANA]
Liberal Democrat Party (Parti Liberal Democrate) of PLD [Sarah RABEHARISOA]
Malagasy Awaken Party (MalaggasyTonga Saina) or MTS [Roland RATSIRAKA]
Malagasy Starting Together Party (Malagasy Miara-Miainga) or MMM [Hajo ANDRIANAINARIVELO]
National Unity, Freedom, and Development or FFF [Benjamin RADAVIDSON Andriamparany]
New Forces for Madagascar (Hery Vaovao ho an'i Madagasikara) or HVM [Rivo RAKOTOVAO]
Parti Hiaraka Isika or PHI [Albert Camille VITAL]
Pillar for the Renovation of Madagscar Party (Avant-garde pour la Renovation de Madagascar) or AREMA [Didier RATSIRAKA]
Pillar of Madagascar or AIM [Andry RAKOTOVAO]
Ravalomanana Movement or MR
Sambo Fiaran'i Noe or SFN
Union Party or Tambatra [Pety RAKOTONIAINA]
Vondrona Politika Miara dia Malagasy Miara Miainga or VPM MMM [Milavonjy ANDRIASY]
With the President Andry RAJOELIN Party (Miaraka amin'i Andry RAJOELINA) or MAPAR [Andry RAJOELINA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Council for Malagsy Reconciliation (Conseil du Fampihavanana Malagasy) or CFM [Alphonse MAKA]
High Council for the Defense of Democracy and State of Law (Haut Conseil pour la Defense de la Democratie et de l'Etat de Droit} or HCDDED [President to be elected]
National Council of Christian Churches (Filankevitry ny Fiangonana Kristianina eto Madagasikara) or FFKM [Mgr.Samoela Jaona RANARIVELO]
National Independent Commission for Humen Rights (Commission National Independante pour les Droits de l'Homme) or CNIDH [Mireille RABENORO]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Eric ANDRIAMIHAJAMANANIRINA Robson (since 28 March 2018)
chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-5525
FAX: [1] (202) 265-3034
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Stuart R. WILSON (since 2 April 2018)
embassy: Lot 207A, Point Liberty, Andranoro, Antehiroka, 105 Antananarivo
mailing address: B.P. 620, Antsahavola, Antananarivo
telephone: [261] 20 23 480 00
FAX: [261] 20 23 480 35 or [261] 33 44 328 17
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a vertical white band of the same width on hoist side; by tradition, red stands for sovereignty, green for hope, white for purity
National symbol(s):
traveller's palm, zebu; national colors: red, green, white
National anthem:
name: "Ry Tanindraza nay malala o" (Oh, Our Beloved Fatherland)
lyrics/music: Pasteur RAHAJASON/Norbert RAHARISOA
note: adopted 1959