Land area

592,000 sq km

Population

19.5m (World Gazetteer 2010 estimate)

Main towns

Population, 2010 (World Gazetteer estimates)

Antananarivo (conurbation): 1.7m

Toamasina: 225,000

Antsirabé: 197,000

Fianarantsoa: 184,000

Mahajanga: 166,000

Toliara: 123,000

Antsiranana: 88,000

Climate

Tropical; cooler in the highlands

Weather in Antananarivo (altitude 1,370 metres): hottest month, December, 16-27°C; coldest month, July, 9-20°C; driest month, June, 8 mm average rainfall; wettest month, January, 300 mm average rainfall

Languages

Malagasy, French

Measures

Metric system

Currency

Ariary (AR)-the ariary officially replaced the Malagasy franc in August 2004

Fiscal year

April-March

Time

Three hours ahead of GMT

Public holidays

January 1st; March 29th (commemoration of the 1947 rebellion); Easter; May 1st (Labour Day); Ascension Day; Whitsun; May 25th (Organisation of African Unity Day); June 26th (Independence Day); August 15th (Assumption); November 1st (All Saints' Day); December 25th, December 30th (Republic Day)