Madagascar - Travel Report

Madagascar is a developing island nation off the east coast of Africa. The capital is Antananarivo. French and Malagasy are official languages. The average GDP is $13.02 billion (2003 est.). The primary products of Madagascar are processed meat, soap, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, paper, petroleum and brewed alcohol. The primary export partners of Madagascar are France, the United States, Germany, and Japan. The primary import partners of Madagascar are France, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Germany. The majority of the country has indigenous religious beliefs, although a large portion of the population practices the Christian religion. Therefore a large portion of the population celebrates traditional Christian religious holidays. Credit cards are generally only accepted at major hotel chains. It is advisable to inquire with your financial institution regarding acceptability. Madagascar is prone to tropical storms. The storm season generally runs from January through February. Information about natural disaster preparedness can be obtained from FEMA.