Area: total: 587,040 sq km
Natural resources: graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Population: 20,042,551 [July 2008 est.]
Ethnic groups: Malayo-Indonesian [Merina and related Betsileo], Cotiers [mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava], French, Indian, Creole, Comoran
Languages: English [official], French [official], Malagasy [official]
Capital: name: Antananarivo
geographic coordinates: 18 55 S, 47 31 E
time difference: UTC+3 [8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time]
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 26.8%
industry: 15.8%
services: 57.4% [2007 est.]
Labor force: 7.3 million [2000]
Budget: revenues: $1.227 billion
expenditures: $1.629 billion [2007 est.]
Agriculture - products: coffee, vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava [tapioca], beans, bananas, peanuts livestock products
Industries: meat processing, seafood, soap, breweries, tanneries, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism
Exports: $989 million f.o.b. [2007 est.]
Exports - commodities: coffee, vanilla, shellfish, sugar, cotton cloth, chromite, petroleum products
Exports - partners: France 32.2%, US 25.3%, Germany 6%, Italy 5%, UK 4.1% [2006]
Imports: $1.933 billion f.o.b. [2007 est.]
Imports - commodities: capital goods, petroleum, consumer goods, food
Imports - partners: France 14.5%, China 12%, Iran 9.3%, Mauritius 5.6%, Hong Kong 4.7% [2006]
Currency (code): ariary [MGA]
Airports: 104 [2007]
Railways: total: 854 km
Ports and terminals: Antsiranana, Mahajanga, Toamasina, Toliara