See also - About Honduras

Once dominated by the French, Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean located near the eastern coast of Africa, very close to Mozambique. The main island is the fourth largest island in the world.

The main language of Madagascar is Malagasy. Malagasy is unrelated to nearby African languages, being instead related to the Malayo-Polynesian languages of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Economy

Madagascar is among the poorest countries in the world. Poverty has increased and deepened substantially over the last two and a half decades, with real per capita income having decreased by 40 percent between 1971 and 1991.

The poverty assessment estimates that 70 percent of the population can be defined as being poor and 59 percent as being extremely poor. Almost 80 percent of the rural population are poor compared with almost 50 percent of the urban population. Two-thirds (66 percent) of the rural population are extremely poor compared with just above a third (35 percent) of the urban population.

Madagascar's sources of economic growth are tourism; textile and light manufacturing exports; agricultural products (the country is the world's leading producer of vanilla, accounting for about half the world's export market); and mining. Tourism targets the niche eco-tourism market, capitalizing on Madagascar's unique biodiversity, unspoiled natural habitats, national parks and lemur species.

The currency of Madagascar is the Malagasy ariary. As of the end of 2006, there were about 2,100 ariary to the US dollar. One of only two currencies in the world not based on a power of ten, each ariary comprises five iraimbilanja. Iraimbilanja means literally "one iron weight", and was the name of an old coin worth 1⁄5 of the ariary. The ariary replaced the previous currency, the Malagasy franc, in January of 2005.

Religion

About 45% of the Malagasy are Christian, divided almost evenly between Catholics and Protestants. Many incorporate the cult of the dead with their religious beliefs and bless their dead at church before proceeding with the traditional burial rites. Many believe that the dead join their ancestors in the ranks of divinity and that ancestors are intensely concerned with the fate of their living descendants. The reburial practice of famadihana, or "turning over the dead" celebrate this spiritual communion. In this ritual, relatives' remains are removed from the family tomb, rewrapped in new silk shrouds, and returned to the tomb following festive ceremonies in their honor.

Human Problems

Due to a history of unstable government, poverty, and the impact of recent natural disasters, Madagascar is home to a high population of very needy people. About 35 percent of the population lacks adequate access to health services. In many areas, there is one physician for every 35,000 persons. Life expectancy averages fifty-two years for men and fifty-five years for women.

Malaria remains the most serious disease. Madagascar suffered a serious malaria epidemic in 1990 causing the death of tens of thousands. Other serious diseases included tuberculosis, leprosy, and schistosomiasis, a parasitic ailment that spreads primarily through the passing of human wastes into ponds and irrigation canals.

Additional factors contributing to health problems include overcrowding (in some areas five to eight persons live in a room fourteen meters square) and inadequate garbage disposal facilities. Infant mortality has risen from 68 per 1,000 births in 1975 to 150 per 1,000 in 1990. Malnutrition, diarrheal diseases, respiratory infections, and malaria are the major causes of infant deaths.

How You Can Help

By The Holy Spirit Medical Adventure Evangelism faithfully shares the life-saving good news and love of Jesus Christ as He would have us by providing medical care for needful people outside of the United States. Our vision is that people will come to know Jesus as their personal Savior and experience His transformational love through the medical outreach and care we provide.

We're looking for committed Christ-followers to join our spirited team of physicians, nurses, and other volunteers who provide hands-on primary care through outreach clinics in mountainous central Honduras. If you would like to become a part of our team, or if you are in a position to assist financially, please visit our contact page for more information.

See also - About Honduras