Population: 12,185,318 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)

Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Infant mortality rate: 95 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Life expectancy at birth: 51 years male, 54 years female (1991)

Total fertility rate: 6.9 children born/woman (1991)

Nationality: noun--Malagasy (sing. and pl.); adjective--Malagasy

Ethnic divisions: basic split between highlanders of predominantly Malayo-Indonesian origin (Merina 1,643,000 and related Betsileo 760,000) on the one hand and coastal tribes, collectively termed the Cotiers, with mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry (Betsimisaraka 941,000, Tsimihety 442,000, Antaisaka 415,000, Sakalava 375,000), on the other; there are also 11,000 European French, 5,000 Indians of French nationality, and 5,000 Creoles

Religion: indigenous beliefs 52%, Christian about 41%, Muslim 7%

Language: French and Malagasy (official)

Literacy: 80% (male 88%, female 73%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Labor force: 4,900,000; 90% nonsalaried family workers engaged in subsistence agriculture; 175,000 wage earners--agriculture 26%, domestic service 17%, industry 15%, commerce 14%, construction 11%, services 9%, transportation 6%, other 2%; 51% of population of working age (1985)

Organized labor: 4% of labor force

NOTE: The information regarding Madagascar on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Madagascar People 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Madagascar People 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.