Madagascar
Context and challenges
Capital
Antananarivo
Language
French (official), Malagasy (official), English
Inhabitants
27 000 000 +
Area
587 040 km2
National independence day
26. June
Challenges
Economy
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75% of the population lives below the UN poverty line. The average has as little as $ 1.90 per. day to live off.
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More than 50% live in rural areas. Many places with bad or no road connections.
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In rural areas, poverty is dramatically high: 76%.
- 28% of children between the ages of 5 and 17 are in financial work.
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Only 13% have access to electricity.
Education and health
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Only 1 in 3 children complete primary school.
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Upon completion of primary school, only 17% of pupils have a minimum of reading skills (Malagasy and French).
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Approximately 905,000 children do not go to school.
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47% of all children under the age of 5 suffer from stunted growth.
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5th highest chronic malnutrition in the world.
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41% of girls between the ages of 20-24 were married or engaged before the age of 18.
Nature, environment and climate change
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99,000 hectares of forest are lost every year (mainly due to poverty)
- About 90% of Madagascar's animal and plant species are endemic. That means, they are not found anywhere else in the world.
- Due to climate change, there is an increase in the number of natural disasters; Landslides, droughts and cyclones are ravaging Madagascar.
- The country's authorities have protected large parts of the island to save the unique nature. Despite this, deforestation is a serious environmental problem and a threat to the island's animal and plant species. The rainforests of Madagascar are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Partners for a sustainable and prosperous Madagascar
