Madagascar - Regions, Districts, Communes

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The provinces, the largest units, are further divided into regions, which are subdivided into communes. Each province is administered by a directly elected head of the province and an elected provincial council. Regional administrations follow a similar structure, with a directly elected head of the region and an elected regional council. Communes, which are classified as either urban or rural, have directly elected administrations. 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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar"> Madagascar</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0"> <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar">Introduction & Quick Facts</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref23456"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar#ref23456">Land</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23457"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar#ref23457">Relief</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23459"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar#ref23459">Drainage</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23460"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar#ref23460">Soils</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23461"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Climate">Climate</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23462"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Climate#ref23462">Plant and animal life</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref23464"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Climate#ref23464">People</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279540"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Ethnic-groups">Ethnic groups</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279541"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Ethnic-groups#ref279541">Languages</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279542"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Ethnic-groups#ref279542">Religion</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23463"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Ethnic-groups#ref23463">Settlement patterns</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23466"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Demographic-trends">Demographic trends</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279543"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Demographic-trends#ref279543">Social and economic divisions</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref23467"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Demographic-trends#ref23467">Economy</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23469"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing">Agriculture, forestry, and fishing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23468"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing#ref23468">Resources and power</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23470"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing#ref23470">Manufacturing</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23471"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Agriculture-forestry-and-fishing#ref23471">Finance</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279544"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Trade-and-services">Trade and services</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279545"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Trade-and-services#ref279545">Labour and taxation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23473"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Trade-and-services#ref23473">Transportation and telecommunications</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref23474"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Trade-and-services#ref23474">Government and society</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279546"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Trade-and-services#ref279546">Constitutional framework</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279547"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Local-government">Local government</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23476"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Local-government#ref23476">Justice</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23477"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Local-government#ref23477">Security</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23479"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" 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life</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23483"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Local-government#ref23483">Cultural milieu</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279548"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Daily-life-and-social-customs">Daily life and social customs</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23484"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Daily-life-and-social-customs#ref23484">The arts</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23485"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Daily-life-and-social-customs#ref23485">Cultural institutions</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref260868"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Sports-and-recreation">Sports and recreation</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23486"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Sports-and-recreation#ref23486">Media and publishing</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref215855"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/History">History</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23444"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/History#ref23444">Early history</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23445"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/History#ref23445">Madagascar from 1500 to <em>c.</em> 1650</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23446"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Political-evolution-from-1650-to-1810">Political evolution from 1650 to 1810</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23447"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Political-evolution-from-1650-to-1810#ref23447">Early European contacts</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23448"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Political-evolution-from-1650-to-1810#ref23448">The kingdom of Madagascar</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23449"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Political-evolution-from-1650-to-1810#ref23449">Formation of the kingdom (1810–61)</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23450"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Outside-influences-1861-95">Outside influences (1861–95)</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref23451"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Outside-influences-1861-95#ref23451">The French period</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23452"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Outside-influences-1861-95#ref23452">The colonial period (1896–1945)</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref23453"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Outside-influences-1861-95#ref23453">The French Union (1946–58)</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279549"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/The-First-Republic">The First Republic</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279550"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/The-First-Republic#ref279550">Transition</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279551"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/The-Second-Republic">The Second Republic</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref279552"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/The-Third-Republic">The Third Republic</a><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref279553"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/The-Third-Republic#ref279553">Zafy’s presidency and impeachment</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref279554"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/The-Third-Republic#ref279554">Ratsiraka’s return to power</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref279555"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/The-Third-Republic#ref279555">Political crisis and renewal</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h3"><li data-target="#ref284071"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Power-struggle">Power struggle</a></li></ul></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref314180"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Power-struggle#ref314180">The Fourth Republic</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref341163"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Madagascar/Return-to-constitutional-order">Return to constitutional order</a></li></ul></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" 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The provinces, the largest units, are further divided into regions, which are subdivided into communes. Each province is administered by a directly elected head of the province and an elected provincial council. Regional administrations follow a similar structure, with a directly elected head of the region and an elected <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/topic/council-of-governments" class="md-crosslink autoxref" data-show-preview="true">regional council</a>. Communes, which are classified as either urban or rural, have directly elected administrations.</p><span class="marker p1"></span><span class="marker AM1 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <section id="ref23476" data-level="2"><h2 class="h2">Justice</h2> <p class="topic-paragraph">The former <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Merina" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">Merina</a> state that ruled the island throughout the 19th century had an elaborate system of laws, courts, and <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="justice" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/justice" data-type="MW">justice</a>. The present legal system, however, is based upon French codes and practices. There is a High <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="Constitutional" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Constitutional" data-type="MW">Constitutional</a> Court, a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/topic/High-Court-of-Justice-British-law" class="md-crosslink autoxref" data-show-preview="true">High Court of Justice</a>, a Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, and tribunals.</p><span class="marker p2"></span><span class="marker AM2 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span></section> <section id="ref23477" data-level="2"><h2 class="h2">Security</h2> <p class="topic-paragraph">The army played no direct political role in Madagascar until 1972, although the presence of French army units had <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="bolstered" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bolstered" data-type="MW">bolstered</a> the former government. The French troops were withdrawn in 1973, and the French naval base at Antsiranana was handed over to Madagascar in 1975. The <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Malagasy-peoples" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">Malagasy</a> armed forces consist of an army, a navy, and an <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/topic/air-force" class="md-crosslink autoxref" data-show-preview="true">air force</a>. There is also a large paramilitary force, as well as a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/topic/secret-police" class="md-crosslink autoxref" data-show-preview="true">secret police</a>. Detachments of local police are stationed at the headquarters of each administrative division, as well as in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Antananarivo" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">Antananarivo</a>. The whole force is under unified command and falls within the responsibility of the ministry of the interior.</p><span class="marker p3"></span><span class="marker AM3 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span></section> <section id="ref23479" data-level="2"><h2 class="h2">Health and welfare</h2> <p class="topic-paragraph">The majority of Malagasy citizens live in rural areas. Conditions of life vary greatly from region to region; some regions, especially those where cash crops are grown, are relatively prosperous and well-linked with the cities, while others—particularly those in the south—are isolated and subject to periodic famine. All regions are dependent on agriculture, and the eastern regions suffer frequently from the devastating cyclones that are a feature of the Malagasy climate. Rural areas generally lack many of the amenities that are available to even the urban poor, including access to electricity, running water, and safe drinking water.</p><span class="marker p4"></span><span class="marker AM4 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Although infant mortality remains significantly higher than the world average, infant deaths from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/science/malaria" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">malaria</a>, which is <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="endemic" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/endemic" data-type="MW">endemic</a> all over the island, have been much reduced. Debilitating parasitic diseases, such as <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/science/schistosomiasis" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">schistosomiasis</a>, an infection of the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/science/bladder" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">bladder</a> or <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/science/intestine" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">intestines</a>, remain serious and are hard to control, since the parasites’ breeding grounds are the irrigated rice fields and the streams that feed them. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/science/sexually-transmitted-disease" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">Sexually transmitted diseases</a> are also widespread, although Madagascar has one of the lowest rates of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/science/HIV" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">HIV</a>/<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/science/AIDS" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">AIDS</a> in sub-Saharan Africa.</p><span class="marker p5"></span><span class="marker AM5 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Malagasy doctors began to practice Western medicine in the late 19th century, and a medical school was established in Antananarivo in 1897. The health system includes principal and secondary hospitals, dispensaries, and medical centres. Medical personnel include doctors as well as pharmacists, dentists, midwives, social assistants, visiting nurses, and health assistants. However, there is a significantly imbalanced patient-to-doctor ratio, in part because many of those graduating with health care-related degrees from Malagasy institutions have been drawn to other sectors or to more <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="lucrative" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/lucrative" data-type="EB">lucrative</a> positions abroad. Furthermore, hospitals and specialists are located mainly in the towns, with the exception of some rural hospitals run by Christian missions, and it is difficult for many Malagasy citizens to access health care facilities. Health insurance and other social benefits are available mainly to better-paid workers and professionals among the employed population.</p><span class="marker p6"></span><span class="marker AM6 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section> <section id="ref23480" data-level="2"><h2 class="h2">Housing</h2> <p class="topic-paragraph"><span id="ref386775"></span><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/technology/house-dwelling" class="md-crosslink">Houses</a> are typically rectangular and crowned with steeply angled roofs. In the rural areas, most houses are made of either mud and wattle or woven matting supported by poles. In the eastern forest, they are built of interlaced split <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/plant/bamboo" class="md-crosslink autoxref" data-show-preview="true">bamboo</a> and are thatched with palm. In the south, overlapping upright wooden planks are used for walls. On the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/science/plateau-landform" class="md-crosslink autoxref" data-show-preview="true">plateau</a>, rural housing is constructed of earth blocks and thatched roofing, while upper-income and most urban housing consists of two- or three-story homes—typically with the kitchen at the top, living quarters in the middle, and storage below—all surrounded by wide balconies supported by brick columns and crowned with steep tiled roofs. This is the lofty Indonesian style of architecture, transformed by new techniques contributed by the missionaries. The original style survives in the house of King Andrianampoinimerina (reigned 1787–1810) at Ambohimanga and reached its <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="pinnacle" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pinnacle" data-type="MW">pinnacle</a> in the Queen’s Palace built by Jean Laborde in the 19th century; the palace was destroyed by fire in 1995.</p><span class="marker p7"></span><span class="marker AM7 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">The government-sponsored housing authority conducts research into design, materials, and production methods and is seeking to promote inexpensive urban housing, but the problem of overcrowding is expected to increase with continued urban growth.</p><span class="marker p8"></span><span class="marker AM8 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span></section> <section id="ref23478" data-level="2"><h2 class="h2">Education</h2> <p class="topic-paragraph">The educational system consists of primary and secondary schools, technical institutes, teacher-training colleges, and a university system. Education is compulsory between ages 6 and 13. Primary education, which is free, begins at age six and consists of five years of study. Secondary education consists of a four-year cycle of study, followed by a three-year cycle. Universities in Madagascar include the University of Antananarivo (1961), the University of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Mahajanga" class="md-crosslink autoxref" data-show-preview="true">Mahajanga</a> (1977), and the University of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/place/Fianarantsoa" class="md-crosslink autoxref" data-show-preview="true">Fianarantsoa</a> (1988). There has been an increased use of the Malagasy language in teaching, although some coastal peoples have objected because of the written language’s close relationship to the Merina people.</p><span class="marker p9"></span><span class="marker AM9 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">The level of school attendance and educational attainment is higher on the plateau than in the coastal areas. Protestant and Roman Catholic missions have been providing education since the 19th century, and the missions continue to educate a large proportion of the schoolchildren, although the government maintains official schools at all levels and is attempting to phase out private education. In the main towns there are other privately run schools, which serve those unable to enter either government or mission schools. About two-thirds of women and about three-fourths of men in Madagascar are literate, a trend that indicates a remarkable increase in the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/topic/nation-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref" data-show-preview="true">country’s</a> overall rate of literacy since the mid-1960s, when less than two-fifths of the population was literate.</p><span class="marker p10"></span><span class="marker AM10 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD10 mod-inline"></span></section></section><span class="marker h6"></span><section id="ref23482" data-level="1"><h2 class="h1">Cultural life</h2> <section id="ref23483" data-level="2"><h2 class="h2">Cultural milieu</h2> <p class="topic-paragraph">Malagasy <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="culture" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture" data-type="MW">culture</a> is largely composed of Indonesian elements, with other influences evident. Arabic and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islam" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">Islamic</a> contributions include <em>sikidy</em>, an intricate system of divination, and calendrical features, such as the Arabic-derived names of the days of the week, which also apply to the markets held on those days. The coastal areas of the west, north, and south might be expected to show African cultural elements, but, apart from some <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/art/Bantu-languages" class="md-crosslink" data-show-preview="true">Bantu</a> words, these are often difficult to identify conclusively.</p><span class="marker p11"></span><span class="marker AM11 am-inline"></span><span class="marker MOD11 mod-inline"></span></section> </section><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//web.archive.org/web/20230925010756if_/https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":7,"pagesTotal":17,"pageId":355562,"pageLength":1103,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [{"id":1012,"name":"SUBSCRIPTION_LINK_DESKTOP","selector":"#fake"}] </script> <script src="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756js_/https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-103/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.103.19"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-103/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.103.19' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"COUNTRY_PAGINATED","gisted":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756js_/https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=UA-6636134-11" async="async"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> function gaPageLoad(pathname, documentLocation) { pathname = pathname || location.pathname; documentLocation = documentLocation || document.querySelector('html').getAttribute('data-ytrk-page'); if (documentLocation) { documentLocation = documentLocation.replace(/ /g, '/'); if (documentLocation.charAt(0) !== '/') { documentLocation = '/' + documentLocation; } window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag() { dataLayer.push(arguments); } gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('set', { 'dimension1': 'ANONYMOUS', 'dimension2': 'C', 'dimension3': 'C' }); //console.log( "*****[UA]***** -> ", documentLocation + pathname + decodeURI(location.search) ); gtag('config', 'UA-6636134-11', { 'page_path': documentLocation + pathname + decodeURI(location.search), 'link_attribution': true, }); } } gaPageLoad(); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//web.archive.org/web/20230925010756/https://www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> <script defer src="https://web.archive.org/web/20230925010756js_/https://static.cloudflareinsights.com/beacon.min.js/v8b253dfea2ab4077af8c6f58422dfbfd1689876627854" integrity="" data-cf-beacon="{"rayId":"80bf5f85ab57061d","version":"2023.8.0","b":1,"token":"5cc7d7124de641b181da990fc8c9a0b6","si":100}" crossorigin="anonymous"></script> </body> </html>

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