[76], In 2018 the first round of the presidential election was held on 7 November and the second round was held on 10 December. Madagascar is comparatively low at an average elevation of 442 meters above sea level. [177], Madagascar is the world's principal supplier of vanilla, cloves[178] and ylang-ylang. Several colonization and conversion missions were ordered by King Joo III and by the Viceroy of India, including one in 1553 by Baltazar Lobo de Sousa. Some religious leaders stated that the government interfered excessively when imposing restrictions on the reopening of places of worship after a total suspension to prevent the proliferation of COVID-19. Growth is expected to pick up to 4.2% in 2023 and 4.6% in 2024, with structural constraints and slowing external demand preventing a faster rebound. [191] According to the United Nations, more than one million people in southern Madagascar are struggling to get enough to eat,[192] due to what could become the first famine caused by climate change.[193]. This is driven by its high fertility rate of 4.11 births per woman. [7], There is a growing number of ethnic Malagasy converts to Islam in Madagascar. Child immunizations against such diseases as hepatitis B, diphtheria, and measles increased an average of 60 percent in this period, indicating low but increasing availability of basic medical services and treatments. During Ramadan, it provided additional broadcast time to the Muslim community. [52], Primarily on the basis that the Lambert Charter had not been respected, France invaded Madagascar in 1883 in what became known as the first Franco-Hova War. By the end of the 19th century, Madagascar had the most developed and modern school system in pre-colonial Sub-Saharan Africa. Lemurs have been characterized as "Madagascar's flagship mammal species" by Conservation International. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded on the island, of which over 60percent (including four families and 42 genera) are endemic. An American thinktank estimates there are about 1.57bn Muslims worldwide - roughly 23% of the total 6.8bn population. [93] This distinctive ecology has led some ecologists to refer to Madagascar as the "eighth continent",[94] and the island has been classified by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot. A wide variety of sweet and savory fritters as well as other street foods are available across the island, as are diverse tropical and temperate-climate fruits. [141] The next largest cities are Antsirabe (500,000), Toamasina (450,000) and Mahajanga (400,000). Together, these data shine a light on the health and rights of people around the world, especially women and young people. In addition, Madagascar is among the five countries where access to water is the most difficult for the population. Madagascar's growing economy is rooted in the agricultural, tourism, textile and mining industries and is considered a market economy. Hinduism has also been introduced in the country by the Gujarati merchants who settled there for trade. It has an estimated 23 million people who adhere to Islam. Also, these statistics are rising every year, which signifies the level of development currently happening in Madagascar, regardless of the political turmoil it has faced over the years. On September 22, a senior embassy official hosted a number of religious, political, and economic leaders to discuss various topics affecting public life, including human rights and religious freedom. Madagascar was an important transoceanic trading hub connecting ports of the Indian Ocean in the early centuries following human settlement. Embassy officials engaged with religious leaders throughout the year and met with human rights organizations to discuss issues affecting some religious communities, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties some Muslims encountered in acquiring citizenship. China's population falls for first time since 1961. The western coast features many protected harbors, but silting is a major problem caused by sediment from the high levels of inland erosion carried by rivers crossing the broad western plains. Members of the Sambava Muslim community said they believed the rejection of the construction permit was discriminatory, given the presence of a Christian church in the same area that regularly rang its church bells. The sacrifice of zebu is a traditional method used to appease or honor the ancestors. [98] Many native plant species are used as herbal remedies for a variety of afflictions. "I try to go to the mosque on Fridays and at the weekend," says the 16-year-old Muslim, who has been enrolled in Catholic schools since primary education. [1] The outcome of the referendum, and its consequences for official and national language policy, are not recognized by the political opposition, who cite lack of transparency and inclusiveness in the way the election was organized by the High Transitional Authority. These central highlands, traditionally the homeland of the Merina people and the location of their historic capital at Antananarivo, are the most densely populated part of the island and are characterized by terraced, rice-growing valleys lying between grassy hills and patches of the subhumid forests that formerly covered the highland region. The U.S. government estimates the total population at 27.0 million (midyear 2021). In 2012, the population of Madagascar was approximately 22 million people, 90% of them live on less than 2 $ per day. Members of some evangelical Protestant churches continued to report they experienced discrimination in employment practices due to their religious affiliation, especially those who observed a Saturday Sabbath. Human rights in Madagascar are protected under the constitution and the state is a signatory to numerous international agreements including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. [130], In 2003, Ravalomanana announced the Durban Vision, an initiative to more than triple the island's protected natural areas to over 60,000km2 (23,000sqmi) or 10percent of Madagascar's land surface. Yet politically the island remained fragmented. [37] Eleven countries have established embassies in Madagascar, including France, the United Kingdom, the United States, China and India,[146] while Madagascar has embassies in sixteen other countries. January 17, 2023. . National GDP grew at an average rate of 7percent per year under his administration. Madagascar was first colonized by a small group of Indonesians who crossed the Indian Ocean some 1,200 years ago, reports a new study published in the journal . [36], Running water and electricity are supplied at the national level by a government service provider, Jirama, which is unable to service the entire population. The constitution states that such rights may be limited by the need to protect the rights of others or to preserve public order, national dignity, or state security. In 2017, the capital's population was estimated at 1,391,433 inhabitants. [70] This movement led the French to establish reformed institutions in 1956 under the Loi Cadre (Overseas Reform Act), and Madagascar moved peacefully towards independence. In the later half of his second term, Ravalomanana was criticised by domestic and international observers who accused him of increasing authoritarianism and corruption. [140], Medical centers, dispensaries, and hospitals are found throughout the island, although they are concentrated in urban areas and particularly in Antananarivo. [75] In March 2009, Rajoelina was declared by the Supreme Court as the President of the High Transitional Authority, an interim governing body responsible for moving the country toward presidential elections. [1] Due to secular nature of the Madagascar's constitution, Muslims are free to proselytize and build places of worship in the country. [80], In 2020, on the 60th anniversary of Madagascar's independence, a national drive was marked with an inaugural gathering of volunteers to set out plantlings in the ground in an ambition to plant 60 million trees.[81]. The small island of Nosy Boroha off the northeastern coast of Madagascar has been proposed by some historians as the site of the legendary pirate utopia of Libertalia. The annual population growth rate is 2.81 percent. [143] Modern politics in Madagascar are colored by the history of Merina subjugation of coastal communities under their rule in the 19th century. The scheme was perhaps no so perposterous as normally assumed. [30] The rising intensity of land cultivation and the ever-increasing demand for zebu pasturage had largely transformed the central highlands from a forest ecosystem to grassland by the 17th century. One Muslim leader criticized the government for not consulting with that religious community when rescheduling COVID-delayed national secondary school exams to overlap with the Eid al-Adha holiday. [199][200][36] The annual population growth rate in Madagascar was approximately 2.9percent in 2009. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom, Section IV. In either case, these dates make Madagascar one of the latest major landmasses on Earth to be settled by humans, predating the settlement of Iceland and New Zealand. During the year, leaders of evangelical churches stated that some female members of their churches were victims of violence committed by their husbands because they did not agree with their wives religious beliefs. Antananarivo is connected to Toamasina, Ambatondrazaka and Antsirabe by rail, and another rail line connects Fianarantsoa to Manakara. In 1508, settlers there built a tower, a small village, and a stone column. They settled the north-west of the island (Majunga area) and were the first to actually bring Islam to the island. The Gujarati of India are known to be resourceful businessmen. secular power the Because of its advanced sports facilities, Antananarivo gained the hosting rights for several of Africa's top international basketball events, including the 2011 FIBA Africa Championship,[241] the 2009 FIBA Africa Championship for Women,[242] the 2014 FIBA Africa Under-18 Championship,[243] the 2013 FIBA Africa Under-16 Championship,[244] and the 2015 FIBA Africa Under-16 Championship for Women. Anticipated recovery in economic activity will translate to a gradual decline in poverty rates, from a historical high of 81.9% in 2020 to 81.2% in 2023 and 80.7% in 2024, thereby remaining above . Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) off the coast of East Africa across the Mozambique Channel. [190] In 2019, Madagascar had a measles outbreak, resulting in 118,000 cases and 1,688 deaths. This tradition was broken in 2009, when a segment of the army defected to the side of Andry Rajoelina, then-mayor of Antananarivo, in support of his attempt to force President Ravalomanana from power. Other Muslim leaders, however, reported generally good relations between members of their community and other faiths across the country. [212][37], The veneration of ancestors has led to the widespread tradition of tomb building, as well as the highlands practice of the famadihana, whereby a deceased family member's remains are exhumed and re-wrapped in fresh silk shrouds, before being replaced in the tomb. Although invertebrates remain poorly studied in Madagascar, researchers have found high rates of endemism among the known species. Gabriel Ramanantsoa, a major general in the army, was appointed interim president and prime minister that same year, but low public approval forced him to step down in 1975. [37] Most of the country's export revenue is derived from the textiles industry, fish and shellfish, vanilla, cloves and other foodstuffs. There are small numbers of Hindus and Jews. Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world, after Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo. [57], The conquest was followed by ten years of civil war, due to the Menalamba insurrection. [37], The public directly elects the president and the 127 members of the National Assembly to five-year terms. The economy, however, has been growing since 2011, with GDP growth exceeding 4% per year;[170][171] almost all economic indicators are growing, the GDP per capita was around $1600 (PPP) for 2017,[172] one of the lowest in the world, although growing since 2012; unemployment was also cut, which in 2016 was equal to 2.1%[173] with a work force of 13.4million as of 2017. [22] The name Madageiscar was first recorded in the memoirs of 13th-century Venetian explorer Marco Polo as a corrupted transliteration of the name Mogadishu, the Somali port with which Marco Polo had confused the island. [217] Muslims are divided between those of Malagasy ethnicity, Indians, Pakistanis and Comorans. You can add more than one country or area. [48], Among those who continued to reside in Imerina were Jean Laborde, an entrepreneur who developed munitions and other industries on behalf of the monarchy, and Joseph-Franois Lambert, a French adventurer and slave trader, with whom then-Prince Radama II signed a controversial trade agreement termed the Lambert Charter. This is because government surveillance has unearthed painful memories of ethnoreligious clashes in the 1970s between the mainly Sunni Muslim Comorian population and mainly Christian ethnicities . [184] A small but growing number of fine art galleries in Antananarivo, and several other urban areas, offer paintings by local artists, and annual art events, such as the Hosotra open-air exhibition in the capital, contribute to the continuing development of fine arts in Madagascar. Vahao ny Oloko obtained free airtime to broadcast religious services every morning on public radio and television channels during the COVID health emergency and continued to broadcast after the reopening of churches. Another 41 percent are Christians, divided into Catholics and Protestants. [115] They are almost all classified as rare, vulnerable, or endangered. In addition to the tradition of silk weaving and lamba production, the weaving of raffia and other local plant materials has been used to create a wide array of practical items such as floor mats, baskets, purses and hats. [37], Matatana was the first Portuguese settlement on the south coast, 10km west of Fort Dauphin. Madagascar is currently growing at a rate of 2.68% per year. It is the fourth largest island in the world and is heavily populated as well. [140] In addition to the state television channel, a variety of privately owned television stations broadcast local and international programming throughout Madagascar. Malagasy cuisine reflects the diverse influences of Southeast Asian, African, Oceania, Indian, Chinese, and European culinary traditions. [160] Starting in 2015, under the direction of and with assistance from the UN, the World Food Programme started the Madagascar Country Programme with the two main goals of long-term development and reconstruction efforts, and addressing the food insecurity issues in the southern regions of Madagascar. There is no law prohibiting or limiting religious education in public or private schools. [37], Approximately 42.5percent of the population is younger than 15 years of age, while 54.5percent are between the ages of 15 and 64. Madagascar from 1500 to c. 1650. There are over 30 mosques in the town and distinct communities of Comorian and Gujarati people. Approximately 25% of the population is Protestant. Southern Madagascar is in crisis with more than a million people facing acute food insecurity as the region suffers its worst drought in four decades. You can add more than one country or area. However, in a 2009 political crisis, president Marc Ravalomanana was made to resign and presidential power was transferred in March 2009 to Andry Rajoelina. The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) are pleading for help from the international community, warning that 14,000 people are facing . Beginning in the tenth or eleventh century, Islam is the second largest religion in the world, with having more than 1.8 billion muslims in the world. The Arabs were On multiple occasions the government consulted with the leadership of different religious communities regarding COVID-19 response measures and helped facilitate access for Protestant clergy to visit COVID-19 patients in public hospitals. The country with the largest number of Muslims overall is Indonesia, which is home to an estimated 231 million Muslims. Due to their lower population densities, Madagascar's dry deciduous forests have been better preserved than the eastern rain forests or the original woodlands of the central plateau. Over 50percent of the nation's export revenue was spent on debt servicing. [36], Following the coup, the courtiers offered Radama's queen, Rasoherina (186368), the opportunity to rule, if she would accept a power sharing arrangement with the Prime Minister: a new social contract that would be sealed by a political marriage between them. Islam accounts for 3%, and the remaining 6.9 are classified as unaffiliated, which can mean agnostic, atheist, or nothing in particular.. 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