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

MA

republic

Antananarivo

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

26 June 1960 (from France)

Independence Day, 26 June (1960)

19 August 1992 by national referendum

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

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President Didier RATSIRAKA (since 10 February 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Tantely Rene Gabriot ANDRIANARIVO
(since NA 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 29 December 1996 (next to be held NA 2002); prime
minister appointed by the president from a list of candidates
nominated by the National Assembly
election results: Didier RATSIRAKA elected president; percent of vote
- Didier RATSIRAKA (AREMA) 50.7%, Albert ZAFY (AFFA) 49.3%

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
Nationale (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms); note - the legislature is scheduled to become
a bicameral Parliament with the establishment of a Senate; two-thirds
of the seats of this Senate will be filled by regional assemblies
whose members will be elected by popular vote; the remaining one-third
of the seats will be appointed by the president; the total number of
seats will be determined by the National Assembly; all members will
serve four-year terms
elections: National Assembly - last held 17 May 1998 (next to be held
NA 2002)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - AREMA 63, LEADER/Fanilo 16, AVI 14, RPSD 11, AFFA 6,
MFM 3, AKFM/Fanavaozana 3, GRAD/Iloafo 1, Fihaonana 1, independents 32

Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Constitutional
Court or Haute Cour Constitutionnelle

Action, Truth, Development, and Harmony
or AFFA ; Association for the Rebirth of
Madagascar or AREMA ; Congress Party for
Malagasy Independence or AKFM/Fanavaozana [Pastor Richard
ANDRIAMANJATO]; Economic Liberalism and Democratic Action for National
Recovery or LEADER/Fanilo ; Fihaonana Rally or
Fihaonana ; Group of Reflection and Action for the
Development of Madagascar or GRAD/Iloafo ;
Judged by Your Work or AVI ; Movement for the
Progress of Madagascar or MFM ; National Union
for Development and Democracy or UNDD; Renewal of the Social
Democratic Party or RPSD

Federalist Movement; National
Council of Christian Churches or FFKM

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Biclair Henri
ANDRIANANTOANDRO
chancery: 2374 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:  (202) 265-5525, 5526
consulate(s) general: New York

chief of mission: Ambassador Shirley E. BARNES
embassy: 14-16 Rue Rainitovo, Antsahavola, Antananarivo
mailing address: B. P. 620, Antananarivo
telephone:  (2) 212-57, 200-89, 207-18
FAX:  (2) 345-39

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