a republic on the island of Madagascar; achieved independence from France in 1960
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an island in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa; the 4th largest island in the world
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Aguililla was assigned last September to be the second ranking official at the Cuban Embassy in Madagascar.
A tiny, barefoot 3-year-old girl carries her even smaller sister on her back as she wanders onto a stage in Madagascar to stand near the pope from faraway Rome.
Malagasy, as citizens of Madagascar are known, gathered at the airport and waved flags and banners when the pope arrived.
But the major species under threat in Madagascar is the Malagasy," says Jose Bronfman, the World Bank representative here.
The U.S. warned against all but essential travel to Madagascar, saying demonstrations could turn violent.
Under the accord, foreign companies that have sold goods to Madagascar and haven't been paid could be paid off in exchange for further government commitments to conservation.
"In effect, Madagascar is a giant experiment in alternative evolution," the New Scientist, an English journal, has said.
On papal matters, the Vatican said Tuesday the pope would return to Africa next year, with stops in Tanzania and the island nation of Madagascar.
Ratsiraka has led Madagascar since he was installed by the military in June 1975.
"We consider Madagascar to be one of the highest conservation priorities in the world," Mast said Thursday.
He went on to serve as a consul in Tananarive, Madagascar, a maritime consul in the Azores, Portugal, and consul general and first secretary in Lisbon.
Madagascar's opposition party declared it was taking power in the country because President Ratsiraka was no longer in control.
'For the past 30 years, Madagascar has managed to secure pretty much the price it wanted.
However, Denard backed Abdallah's return to power three years later in this archipelago between Mozambique and Madagascar.
Madagascar freed three top opposition leaders, but pro-democracy activists said they wouldn't be satisfied until President Didier Ratsiraka steps down.
Madagascar is the first stop on John Paul's fifth African tour. The nine-day trip also will take him to the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, and to Zambia and Malawi.
The hallways echo with the sounds of Spanish, Portuguese, Surinamese and Malagasy, the language of Madagascar.
Pope John Paul II flew to this French Indian Ocean island Monday after urging his flock in the impoverished African nation of Madagascar to reject "contraceptive imperialism" and abortion.
In 1969 he was made titular archbishop and sent to Madagascar as a nuncio.