The island is heavily exposed to tropical cyclones which bring torrential rains and destructive floods, such as the ones in 2000 and 2004, which left thousands homeless.

OVERVIEW

The Malagasy are thought to be descendents of Africans and Indonesians who settled the island more than 2,000 years ago. Malagasy pay a lot of attention to their dead and spend much effort on ancestral tombs, which are opened from time to time so the remains can be carried in procession, before being rewrapped in fresh shrouds.

After sometimes harsh French colonial rule, which included the bloody suppression of an uprising in 1947, Madagascar gained independence in 1960. The military seized power in the early 1970s with the aim of achieving a socialist paradise, which however did not materialise.

The economy went into decline and by 1982 the authorities were forced to adopt a structural adjustment programme imposed by the International Monetary Fund.

The World Bank has estimated that 70% of Madagascans live on less than $1 per day. Poverty and the competition for agricultural land have put pressure on the island's dwindling forests, home to much of Madagascar's unique wildlife and key to its nascent tourist industry.

The island has maintained strong ties with France and has developed economic and cultural links with francophone west Africa.

FACTS

• Population: 18.4 million (UN, 2005)
• Capital: Antananarivo
• Area: 587,041 sq km (226,658 sq miles)
• Major languages: Malagasy (official), French
• Major religions: Indigenous beliefs, Christianity
• Life expectancy: 54 years (men), 57 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: Ariary
• Main exports: Vanilla, coffee, seafood, cloves, petroleum products, chromium, fabrics
• GNI per capita: US $290 (World Bank, 2005)
• Internet domain: .mg
• International dialling code: +261

LEADERS

President: Marc Ravalomanana

Millionaire businessman Marc Ravalomanana has implemented free-market reforms which have been welcomed by donors and investors. Aid has increased and foreign debt has been cancelled. But poverty remains endemic and protesters have taken to the streets over rising prices.

President Marc Ravalomanana, a free-market reformer

When Mr Ravalomanana claimed victory in presidential elections in December 2001 a bitter six-month struggle for power with his predecessor, veteran leader Didier Ratsiraka, ensued.

After the US and France recognised Mr Ravalomanana as the legitimate leader, Didier Ratsiraka flew to France and his forces on the island switched sides.

Mr Ravalomanana promised to tackle poverty and unemployment, but he inherited an economy which was suffering after months of economic disruption and political violence.

Marc Ravalomanana was born in the village of Imerikasina, near Antananarivo. In true rags-to-riches fashion, he began his working life selling home-made yogurt off the back of a bicycle.

His dairy and oil products business is now the largest non-foreign-owned company on the island.

He took to the political stage in 1999 and gained a huge following in Antananarivo. As mayor of the capital he was credited with instigating a major clean-up of the city.