Madagascar Passport

The Republic of Madagascar, La R é publique de Madagascar.

[Area] 592000 square kilometers (including surrounding islands).

[Population] About 30.3 million (2023, according to the data of the United Nations Population Fund). Malagasy people account for over 98% of the total population and are composed of 18 ethnic groups, among which the larger ones are: Imelina (26.1% of the total population), Besimizaraka (14.1%), Besileau (12%), Himiket (7.2%), Sakalava (5.8%), Antandello (5.3%), and Antesaka (5%). The languages, cultures, and customs of various ethnic groups are generally the same. There are still a few Comorians, Indians, Pakistanis and Frenchmen settling in Malaysia, as well as about 50000 overseas Chinese and ethnic Chinese. The national language is Malagasy (belonging to the Malay Polynesian language family), and French is officially used. 52% of residents believe in traditional religions, 41% believe in Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism), and 7% believe in Islam.

Antananarivo, the capital, has a population of approximately 3 million and an average annual temperature of 18.3 ° C.

Independence Day: June 26th.

【 Overview 】 Located east of the African continent and in the western Indian Ocean, it is the largest island in Africa and the fourth largest in the world. Across the Mozambique Channel and facing the African continent. The coastline is about 5000 kilometers long. The southeastern coast belongs to a tropical rainforest climate, with hot and humid conditions throughout the year, and an average annual temperature of 24 ° C; The central region has a tropical plateau climate, mild and cool, with an average annual temperature of 18.3 ° C; The western region has a tropical grassland climate, characterized by drought and little rainfall, with an average annual temperature of 26.6 ° C.

At the end of the 16th century, the Emelina people established the Kingdom of Emelina in the central region. In 1794, the Kingdom of Imelina developed into a centralized feudal state and unified the entire island in the early 19th century, establishing the Kingdom of Madagascar. In 1896, it became a French colony and on October 14, 1958, it became an autonomous republic within the French Community. On June 26, 1960, independence was declared and the Republic of Magash was established, also known as the First Republic. On December 21, 1975, the country's name was changed to the Democratic Republic of Madagascar, also known as the Second Republic, and Didier Ratsiraka became president. In 1990, a multi-party system was implemented. On August 19, 1992, Madagascar held a national referendum and passed the "Constitution of the Third Republic", renaming the country as the Republic of Madagascar. In February 1993, in the first multi-party elections in Malaysia, Albert Zafy defeated Ratsiraka and was elected as the President of the Third Republic. In February 1997, Laziraka won the presidential election and regained power. On December 16, 2001, the Malaysian presidential election was held. Laziraka and the main opposition candidate, Marc Ravalomanana, the mayor of Antananarivo, engaged in a fierce battle over the election results, plunging Ma into a six-month political turmoil. In April 2002, the Supreme Constitutional Court of Malaysia announced that Ravarumana would be elected as the President of Malaysia. On May 6th, Ravalomanana was sworn in. On December 3, 2006, Ravalomanana won re-election with an absolute advantage and was sworn in on January 19, 2007. Afterwards, the "I Love Madagascar Party" founded by Ravalomanana won the elections for the House of Representatives, the municipalities, and the Senate.

In January 2009, serious riots and bloody conflicts occurred in the capital city of Malaysia and other places. In March, President Ravalomanana was forced to relinquish power and flee abroad under pressure from some mutinous troops, and opposition leader and former capital city mayor Andry Nirina Rajoelina announced himself as president. The African Union and the Southern African Development Community suspended Malaysia's membership, while the United States, France, the European Union, and others condemned Rajoelina's unconstitutional seizure of power. After multiple rounds of mediation by the Southern African Development Community, in September 2011, the main political factions in Malaysia signed the Southern African Development Community's roadmap for resolving the crisis and its implementation framework. The new transitional government, transitional parliament, transitional supreme council, and transitional national independent electoral commission were successively declared established. In October and December 2013, Ma conducted two rounds of voting for the presidential election. Hery Rajaonarimampianina was elected with 53.49% of the vote. In November and December 2018, Ma conducted two rounds of voting for the presidential election. On January 8, 2019, Ma Gao and other constitutional courts announced the official results of the general election. Rajoelina defeated Ravalomanana with 55.66% of the vote and was elected as the new president.

In November 2023, the Malaysian presidential election will be held. On December 1, 2023, Ma Gao and other constitutional courts announced the official results of the general election, and Rajoelina won re-election with 58.96% of the vote.

The Constitution of the Third Republic was adopted on August 19, 1992, and was revised three times in September 1995, March 1998, and April 2007. The Constitution grants the President the power to directly appoint the Prime Minister and dissolve parliament, with a term of 5 years and the possibility of re-election for two consecutive terms, elected directly; Both the National Assembly and the Senate require a two-thirds majority to suspend presidential power; Local governments implement autonomy. In 2007, the constitutional amendment abolished autonomous provinces and established regions and townships with administrative and financial autonomy. In November 2010, the transitional government of Malaysia promoted a nationwide referendum to pass a new constitution, announcing the formal establishment of the Fourth Republic. The main content of the new constitution includes lowering the age of office for the president from 40 to 35, and changing the maximum consecutive term for the president from three to two.

The Malaysian Parliament is the highest legislative body in the country, implementing a bicameral system consisting of the National Assembly (L'Assembl é e Nationale) and the Senate (Le S é nat). The National Assembly will be re elected in May 2024 and currently has 163 seats. The ruling coalition "Together with President Rajoelina" has 84 seats, the opposition "United Forces Alliance" has 22 seats, independent candidates have 50 seats, and other parties have 7 seats. Members are elected by universal suffrage and serve a term of 5 years. In July 2024, Justan Tukeli was elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly. The Senate currently has 18 seats, with two-thirds of the senators elected locally and the remaining one-third appointed by the President. Members serve a term of 5 years. In October 2023, Richard Ravarumana was elected as the Speaker of the Senate.

The government is the highest administrative body of the country. The current government was formed in January 2024, led by Prime Minister Christian Ntsay. On July 10th, Prime Minister En Tsai and his government collectively resigned. On the 12th, President Rajoelina appointed En Tsai to continue serving as the Prime Minister of the government, with En Tsai leading the formation of a new government. The government members include Minister of Armed Forces SAHIVELO Lala Monja Delphin, Minister of Foreign Affairs RASATA Rafravavitafika, Acting Minister of Justice FOMENDRAZA Haingo Elisatte, Minister of Decentralization and Territorial Consolidation ANDRIANTSITOHAINA Naina, Minister of Economy and Finance RABARINIRINARISON Rindra Hasimbelo, and Acting Minister of the Interior Naina. ANDRIANTSITOHAINA Naina, Minister of Public Safety RAKOTOARIMANANA Herilala, Minister of Industrialization and Commerce, RAZAFINDRAVAHY Edgar; Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, RATOHIARIJAONA Rakotoarisolo Suzelin; Acting Minister of Higher Education and Research, RAVOKATRA Fidiniavo; Acting Minister of National Education, RANDRAAMANANTANY ZelyArivero; Acting Minister of Technical Education and Vocational Training, RAZAKABOANA Hanitra Fitiavana The Minister of Public Health, RANDRIAMANANTANNY Zely Arivelo, and the Minister of Population and Solidarity, FOMENDRAZA Haingo Elissete, Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts RANDRIAMANDRATO Jo ë l, Acting Minister of Digital Development, Posts and Communications RASATA Rafaravadtafika, Minister of Energy and Hydrocarbon Fuels JEAN-BAPTISTE Olivier, Minister of Public Works ANDRIANATREHINA Ndriamihaja Livah, Minister of Transport and Meteorology RAMONJAVELO Manambahoaka Val é ry Fitzgerald, Minister of Labor, Minister of Employment and Public Service, RAZAKABOANA Hanitra Fitiavana, Minister of Water and Cleanliness, RAVOKATRA Fidiniavo, Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy, MAHATANTE Tsimanaoraty Paubert; Minister of Mines, RAKOTOMALALALA Herindrainy Olivier; Minister of Information and Culture, ANDRIAMANANORO Augustin; Acting Minister of Youth and Sports, RAMONJAVELO Manambahoaka Val é ry Fitzgerald; Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, FONTAINE Max; and Ministerial Representative in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Andriacalafala Andriachanario. RAKOTONDRAZAKA Andriatsarafara Andriamitovy.

The judicial institutions include the Supreme Court, the Supreme Judicial Court, and the High Constitutional Court. The Supreme Court includes the Court of Final Appeal, the State Council, and the Court of Audit. The Chief Justice and the Attorney General are the heads of the Supreme Court. The current Chief Dean, Charles Rab é tokotany, and the Attorney General, Edson Berthelier Ravelontsalama. The Supreme Court of Justice is composed of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, two presiding judges of the final court, two presiding judges of the appellate court, two members of the National Assembly, and two senators. The High Constitutional Court is composed of 9 members with a term of 7 years and cannot be re elected. Three members are appointed by the President, two are appointed by the National Assembly, two are appointed by the Senate, and two are elected by the Supreme Judicial Council. The dean is appointed by the president.

Political parties implement a multi-party system with numerous parties. The currently influential political factions mainly include:

(1) Support the President Rajoelina Alliance (MAPAR): the ruling party. Composed of political parties and alliances such as the "Madagascar Youth Ready" (TGV) and the "Democratic Republican Alliance for Change" (UDR-C) that support Rajoelina.

(2) I Love Madagascar Party (TIM): Former ruling party. The "I Love Madagascar Association", formerly founded by Ravalomanana, played an important role in Ravalomanana's 2001 presidential campaign. After taking office as president, Ravalomanana transformed it into a political party in July 2002. Grassroots organizations are relatively complete. After Ravalomanana stepped down in 2009 and went into exile overseas, the party split twice.

(3) Madagascar New Forces Party (HVM): Former ruling party. Established by Eli in 2014.

【 Important Person 】 Andri Nirina Rajoelina: Born in May 1974, of highland ethnicity, he has founded digital printing enterprises and media groups, and was once elected as the Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Malaysia. In 2007, the political organization "Madagascar Youth Preparation" was established, and in the same year, he was elected as the mayor of the capital city of Antananarivo. In March 2009, with the support of France and some military personnel, then President Ravalomanana was forced to resign and flee to South Africa, assuming the leadership of the newly formed "Supreme Transitional Authority". On March 21, he was sworn in as the interim president. In 2013, under international mediation, he withdrew from the presidential election along with Ravalomanana, and his supported candidate Elli was elected president. Participated in two rounds of voting for the Malaysian presidential election in November and December 2018. On January 8, 2019, he was elected as the new president with 55.66% of the vote and was sworn in on January 19. In the Malaysian general election in November 2023, he won the first round with 58.96% of the vote and was sworn in on December 16th.

Christian Enzai: Born in 1961. I majored in Economics at the University of Antananarivo and studied Business Management at the Center for Financial and Banking Studies (CEFEB) in Paris. From May 2002 to January 2003, he served as the Minister of Tourism of Malaysia. From 2008 to 2018, served as the Director General of the International Labour Organization's offices in Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles. Appointed as the Prime Minister of the United Transitional Government in June 2018. In January 2019, he was appointed as the Prime Minister of the new Malaysian government. In July 2019, August 2020, August 2021, and February 2023, the Malaysian government underwent technical adjustments and restructuring respectively, with Prime Minister Ngoc Choy remaining in office. In January 2024, he was reappointed as the Prime Minister of the new Malaysian government.

Economy is the least developed country. The economy is mainly based on agriculture, heavily reliant on foreign aid, and has a weak industrial foundation. After taking office, Ravalomanana put forward the slogan of "rapid and sustainable" development, issued a national 10-year poverty reduction strategy document, set medium and long-term socio-economic development goals, launched the "Madagascar Action Plan", encouraged private sector development, improved investment environment, attracted foreign investment, and achieved sustained economic growth. After the 2009 political crisis, Malaysia suffered from international sanctions and a sharp decline in foreign investment. The economy deteriorated, and pillar industries such as agricultural product processing, textile processing, and tourism, as well as infrastructure construction, were severely affected. After coming to power in 2014, Ali actively sought the resumption of international aid to Malaysia, formulated a two-year national development emergency plan and a 2015-2019 national development plan, committed to improving the investment environment, attracting foreign investment, and creating employment. After being elected president in January 2019, Rajoelina was committed to implementing the "Madagascar Revitalization Initiative" and promoting the construction of key areas such as energy, agriculture, housing, health, and infrastructure. On December 2, 2020, the Malaysian government held a ministerial meeting to review the "Madagascar Revitalization Plan" and decided to submit it to various multilateral and bilateral partners and investors as soon as possible. The Madagascar Revitalization Plan aims to implement the 13 campaign promises of Rajoelina, the Madagascar Revitalization Initiative, and the governance agenda of the Rajoelina government, and to make arrangements for the development strategy and implementation methods of Madagascar in the coming years. On December 12, 2023, Rajoelina presided over his first ministerial meeting after taking office, reiterating that the new term's governance focus is on the three development pillars of human resources, industrialization, and social governance. In 2023, the gross domestic product will be 16.03 billion US dollars, with an average of 530 US dollars per capita, an economic growth rate of 4%, and an inflation rate of 9.9%.

【 Resources 】 Rich in mineral deposits, the main mineral resources include graphite, ferrochrome, bauxite, quartz, mica, gold, silver, copper, nickel, manganese, lead, zinc, coal, etc. Among them, graphite reserves rank first in Africa. In addition, there are abundant resources of gemstones, semi precious stones, as well as marble, granite, and animal and plant fossils. The river is turbulent and has great potential for hydroelectric power generation. The forest covers an area of 123279 square kilometers, accounting for approximately 21% of the country's total land area. There is a wide variety of rare animals and plants, some of which are unique to horses.

The foundation of the horse industry is very weak, mainly including oil refining, power generation, textile and clothing processing, agricultural product processing, beverages, tobacco, papermaking, leather making, building materials, etc. The duty-free zone was established in 1989.

Agriculture accounts for over 80% of the total population, and 70% of export revenue comes from agriculture. The land is fertile and the climate is suitable for the growth of various tropical and temperate crops and economic crops. More than two-thirds of the cultivated land is planted with rice, and other food crops include cassava, sweet potato, corn, etc., which cannot be self-sufficient in food. The major cash crops include sugarcane, vanilla, cloves, pepper, coffee, cocoa, cotton, peanuts, palm, etc. Among them, the production and export volume of vanilla ranks first in the world, accounting for about two-thirds of the total world market. The total area of pastures in China is 340484 square kilometers, accounting for 58% of the country's total land area. Coastal areas, as well as rivers and lakes, are abundant in various types of fish, shrimp, sea cucumbers, crabs, etc.

The tourism industry is rich in tourism resources, but lacks sufficient service facilities. Since the 1990s, Malaysia has listed tourism as a key development industry and encouraged foreign investment in the tourism industry. In 1990, a tourism school was established to cultivate specialized talents. The National Tourism Development Committee was established in 1991. In 1994, domestic and regional shipping liberalization was implemented, allowing airlines from Reunion Island, Mauritius, and South Africa to enter the Malaysian aviation market. In 1997, the visa system was reformed to allow tourists to apply for landing visas, while the practice of hotels charging high fees to foreign tourists was abolished. Tourists mainly come from France (41.47%), Italy, China, etc. The main tourist destinations are Nusibe Island and Saint Mary Island. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts of Madagascar in 2024, the total number of foreign tourists to Madagascar reached 259900 in 2023, an increase of 97% year-on-year.

Transportation: Water and land transportation are underdeveloped. The railway is a single track railway. The total length of the highway is 38000 kilometers. It has 7 seaports and 10 river ports, with shipping concentrated in the eastern port of Tamataf, with an annual throughput of approximately 4 million tons. We have two international airports. Madagascar Airlines is a state-owned airline with regular flights to Europe, Asia, Africa, and various island countries in the southwestern Indian Ocean.

The financial industry is underdeveloped, with over one-third of the country's financial services operated by the Central Bank of Madagascar, as well as five commercial banks and some institutions handling savings and loan transactions.

In 1987, the policy of trade import and export liberalization was implemented, encouraging export diversification and increasing export volume. Mainly imports petroleum, vehicles, machinery and equipment, pharmaceuticals, daily consumer goods, and food. The main exports include coffee, shrimp, chrome ore, vanilla, cloves, cotton textiles, etc. The main trading partners are France, the United States, China, the European Union, South Africa, the Southern African Development Community, some Southeast Asian countries, and island countries in the Indian Ocean.

Telecommunications, mining, and oil development have been key areas of foreign investment injection in recent years. After taking office, President Rajoelina actively devoted himself to attracting foreign investment and creating employment opportunities.

Economic development heavily relies on foreign aid. The main donors include France, the United States, the International Monetary Fund, Japan, Germany, Norway, and others. After the 2009 political crisis in Malaysia, the international community took measures to reduce and suspend aid to the country. The United States revoked Malaysia's beneficiary status under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and the European Union suspended development assistance to the country. With the successful presidential election in Malaysia in 2013, major partners such as the United Nations, World Bank, France, the United States, and the European Union resumed their aid to Malaysia, and the United States restored Malaysia's status as a beneficiary of the African Growth and Opportunity Act. In recent years, the World Bank, the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, China, France, and others have provided bilateral and multilateral assistance to Malaysia.

According to the 2023/2024 World Human Development Report, Malaysia's Human Development Index ranks 177th out of 193 countries and regions. Employees in public departments enjoy national labor insurance, medical care, housing, and child subsidies, while employees in other departments are covered by social and medical insurance by their employers. 65% of residents have access to basic sanitation, 39.6% of households have access to drinking water, and 16% of households or 14% of the population have access to electricity. According to the data of the United Nations Population Fund, in 2023, the average life expectancy of women will be 69 years and that of men will be 64 years.

After independence, the People's Army was established. The president is the supreme commander of the military. The Ministry of National Defense is a military administrative agency. There are six military districts established nationwide. Implement compulsory military service system, with a service period of about 18 months.

Education: Implement five-year compulsory education. French is used for teaching in urban areas, while in rural areas, most primary and secondary schools use Malay for teaching. Since 1978, formal education has been divided into five years of basic (primary) education, four years of regular junior high school education, three years of high school education, and higher education.

The main newspapers include Madagascar Noon and Express. The National News Agency is the national news agency. The National Radio Station of Madagascar was established in April 1931 and has two programs. The first program is in Malagasy, and the second program is in French and English, broadcasting 24 hours a day. Madagascar National Television was established in 1967 and broadcasts approximately 9 hours per day (15 hours on weekends) in Malagasy and French.

The Malaysian government has a diverse foreign policy. Maintain relations with traditional partner countries such as France, strengthen cooperation with emerging economies, and focus on maintaining relations with neighboring countries. I am currently a member of the African Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the Southern African Development Community, the Indian Ocean Commission, and the Indian Ocean Rim Regional Cooperation Alliance. Madagascar was elected Vice President of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in September 2024, advocating for reform of the UN Security Council and aligning with the common position of the African Union.