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Krysta Hoover
Econ 338
CRP– Madagascar
April 3, 2017
Poverty in Madagascar
Madagascar is a very interesting country in Africa that lies approximately 200
miles off the coast, (Madagascar-Consulate). It is across the Mozambique Channel which
is the south Indian Ocean and it is about 228,880 miles total. Because it is one of the only
island countries in Africa, it is unique compared to most of the countries in its continent.
From daily life to history, to its poverty level, Madagascar has many qualities that not
many people know about. In my paper, I intend to inform people on the country and how
people live their lives there every day well below the poverty line. I believe it is very
important to educate the world about all of the poverty in not only Madagascar, but all of
the countries in Africa that are struggling every day.
Madagascar’s population is 21,290,000, which is pretty high compared to other
countries in Africa, and is the fourth largest island in the world. Its population is growing
faster than its economy, which is not ideal, (Wateraid). Madagascar is also one of
Africa’s poorest countries. The people who reside in this country face multiple problems
each day such as poor health care, poor educational systems, malnutrition, and economic
problems. Madagascar is a country that is well below the poverty line. In fact, only one
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U.S. dollar is equivalent to 1,750 MGA. MGA is the currency they use there which
stands for Malagasy Ariary, (Madagascar-Consulate). They also only have two seasons
there. One is a dry season that begins in May and ends around October, the other one
starts in November and ends in April. The people of Madagascar have two languages
which are French and Malagasy. The country was actually under French rule form 1895
to 1957. Humans arrived on this country two thousand years ago. The island has lost
more than eighty five percent of its original forest land since humans arrived, (BBC.)
This has to do with a practice called, “tavy.” This is a “slash and burn” agricultural
practice and it came about from Madagascar’s earliest settlers, (Nations–Online). Tavy
causes a lot of erosion, which is a problem. Madagascar is the home to a diverse amount
of animal and plant life. From over three hundred different species of birds to ring–tailed
lemurs, some animals found on this island are not found anywhere else in the world. This
is also true about the plants in Madagascar. Over eighty percent of the plants that are
found in Madagascar cannot be found anywhere else, (BBC). Antananarivo is the
economic and political capital of Madagascar. It is a semi presidential representative
democratic republic where president is the head of state and selects a prime minister
which recommends candidates to the president to form his cabinet of ministers. The life
expectancy is only 65 years old in Madagascar. It has been growing a bit each year, but
65 is still a lot lower than the life expectancy in the U.S. Most likely, this has to do with
their poor healthcare system and other factors such as sanitation.
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Madagascar is not only one of the poorest countries in Africa, but it is one of the
poorest countries in the entire world. Poverty in Madagascar has actually increased a lot
over the past two and a half decades. Their per capita income has decreased by forty
percent between 1971 and 1991. Almost 1.9 million people in Madagascar do not have
access to a secure food supply, (WSUP). Around 450,000 people face extreme shortages
which was followed by three poor harvests from a drought. It has been said that well over
two thirds of the people in Madagascar live below the poverty line, this means they
survive on less than one dollar per day. The health of the children of Madagascar is
extremely bad and completely devastating. Half of all the children are suffering from
stunted growth because of their deadly diets. Usually, households cannot afford meat
regularly, so they typically survive on rice and cassava. Cassava is a root of a tropical tree
that contains a lot of starch. This is typical to be eaten for nutrition in tropical countries.
There are free basic health care facilities in the main cities in Madagascar, but the
family still has to pay for supplies, and this does not help much for the people who cannot
get to the main cities in Madagascar. If a family resides in a rural area, there is also a cost
for transporting your family to the health center or hospital. There were a few health
centers in rural areas for the families that lived far from the city, but most have shut down
because of the lack of training the staff had and a shortage in government funding, (Our
Africa.) Common diseases in Madagascar are malaria and tuberculosis. HIV/AIDS has
not affected Madagascar as much as it has in other countries in Africa. Only about 0.2
percent of adults have to disease. Water sanitation is also an issue in this country, as it is
in most countries in Africa. It is more of an issue for the poor people who live in the
urban areas. Untreated feces are entering into the water supply and causing people to
have diarrhea and other diseases that are preventable if they had access to clean drinking
water. The child mortality rate is ten times higher in Madagascar than the U.K. (WSUP).
Over half of the population do not have easy access to clean eater. Madagascar is the
fourth worst country in Africa when it comes to having access to clean, drinking water,
(WSUP).
Madagascar’s GDP and GDP/Capita have been going up and down throughout the
years. There is no telling if it will increase or decrease in the long run because of how
much it fluctuates. Today, Madagascar has a GDP per capita is estimated to be around
1500 U.S. dollars, which is very low, (CIA.) I cannot imagine living in a country where
