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Country : Madagascar Official name: Repoblikan'i Madagasikara (Republic of Madagascar) Head of State: President Marc Ravalomanana (TIM) (sworn in 6 May 2002) Head of government: Prime Minister Jacques Sylla (appointed 16 Jun 2002) Ruling party: Coalition government, including technocrats Area: 592,000 square km (the fourth-largest island in the world) Population: 17.66 million (2004) Capital: Antananarivo Official language: Malagasy, French Currency: Franc Malgache (Mf) = 100 centimes Exchange rate: Mf9,962.50 per US$ (Nov 2004) GDP per capita: US$274 (2003) GDP real growth: 9.60% (2003) Labour force: 7.30 million (2003) Unemployment: 5.90% (2003) Inflation: 1.00% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$285.00 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$4.60 billion (2003)

Historical profile

1500 The first Europeans landed in Madagascar.

1790s King Andrianampoinimerina unified the Merina tribe which soon became the island's dominant tribe, controlling nearly half of Madagascar.

1820 Britain signed a treaty recognising Madagascar as an independent state under Merina rule.

1890 An Anglo-French treaty gave control of the island to France.

1894 Queen Ranavalona III was forced to abdicate and Madagascar was declared a French colony.

1947 After several decades of growing resentment and resistance to French rule, an insurrection was crushed by France with the loss of several thousand lives.

1960 The Republic of Madagascar (known between 1960–72 as the Malagasy Republic) gained full independence. Philibert Tsiranana became president.

1972 Tsiranana was forced from office; he was replaced by General Gabriel Ramantsoa, the army commander.

1975 Ramantsoa was replaced by Colonel Richard Ratsimandrava; within one week he had been killed and a rebel army group announced a military takeover. They, in turn, were quickly defeated by army elements loyal to the ex-president. A new government was installed under Didier Ratsiraka.

1992--93 Following three years of protests and civil disturbances after Ratsiraka's third presidential election victory, a referendum endorsed a multi-party constitution which enshrined a unitary state and reduced the powers of the president. In the 1992/93 presidential election Ratsiraka was defeated by Albert Zafy.

1997 Didier Ratsiraka beat Albert Zafy in the presidential election.

2000 Elections continued to give Didier Ratsiraka and his party considerable political power.

2001 There was no clear winner in the presidential elections. The constitutional court ordered a recount; supporters of the opposition candidate, Marc Ravalomanana, insisted that he won the first ballot.

2002 The High Constitutional Court declared that a recount of the election showed Marc Ravalomanana was the winner. Hostilities broke out between Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana supporters, bringing the country close to civil war. Didier Ratsiraka fled to the Seychelles with his family. The US and France recognised Ravalomanana as Madagascar's legitimate president and he took control of the whole island.

President Marc Ravalomanana's Tiako i Madagasikara (TIM) (I Love and Care for Madagascar) won the parliamentary elections.

2003 On 27 January, Prime Minister Jacques Sylla announced a new cabinet.

2004 In February, tropical cyclones, Elita and Gafilo, left thousands homeless.

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