MALAGASY NATIONAL POLICE

Indigenous population: 5,096,770
Foreign population:
French 68,430
Indian 13,353
Chinese 8,039
Others 4,493 949315
Total 5,191,085
3- The island is obviously under-populated, 'a fact which hinders its
economic development. It has, however, one of the highest annual rates
of population increase in the world (2.5%)o In 1938 the people of Mada­
gascar numbered only 3,882,000. By 1958, the total had increased to over
five million. The Malagasy-population is therefore very youngs 40% of
the inhabitants are under 15 years of age.
4. The religious affiliation of the people can roughly be divided
as follows: 1/3 Protestant, 1/3 Catholic and 1/3 following the Malagasy
traditional practices which have been describedas the more festive forms
of ancestor worship. This last group do not have any church as such, nor
priesthood nor regular days of worship.
D. The Economy
1. Transportation
a. The rugged and mountainous topography of the-island hindered
the development of railroads and highways. The rail system consists of
only four lines which total 532 miles of track. Of a total of 20,000
miles of roadways, only 5,000 miles are passable in all weather.
b. The island has a total of 1,550 miles of navigable rivers
which are supplemented by the Pangalanes Canal, a 403 mile-long waterway
along the east coast.
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