For more information see the Madagascar profile.

The Democratic Republic of Madagascar is an island located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern African coast of Mozambique. The Malagasy people comprise 98% of the population, consisting of 18 main groups of mixed African, Arab and Indonesian origin speaking a single language related to Indonesian.

Annexed by France in 1896, it gained its independence as the Malagasy Republic in 1960. A coup in 1972 led to a disastrous experimentation with Marxism. Madagascar experienced popular protest and violent suppression before the government allowed multi-party elections in 1993.

Whereas the former government was anti-Christian, there is now religious freedom. The road system is in a very poor condition, hindering the spread of the Gospel into many unreached areas.