Editing Madagascar (section)

===Infrastructure and media===
{{Main|Transport in Madagascar|Telecommunications in Madagascar|List of newspapers in Madagascar}}
[[File:Antananarivo Madagascar people reading news.JPG|thumb|A news stand in Antananarivo]]
[[File:AmbatolampyOchsenkarren.jpg|thumb|left|In many places oxcarts are an important medium of transport, like in [[Ambatolampy]]]]
In 2010, Madagascar had approximately {{convert|7617|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}} of paved roads, {{convert|854|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}} of railways and {{convert|432|km|mi|-1|abbr=on}} of navigable waterways.<ref name="Bradtp2"/> The majority of [[roads in Madagascar]] are unpaved, with many becoming impassable in the rainy season. Largely paved [[National routes of Madagascar|national routes]] connect the six largest regional towns to Antananarivo, with minor paved and unpaved routes providing access to other population centers in each district.<ref name="LOC"/> Construction of the [[Antananarivo–Toamasina toll highway]], the country's first [[toll highway]], began in December 2022. The approximately {{Currency|1000000000|first=}} infrastructure project, which will connect Madagascar's capital to its largest seaport, is expected to take four years to complete.<ref name=":12">{{Cite news |date=5 December 2022 |title=Madagascar starts works on first motorway |work=[[Africanews]] |url=https://www.africanews.com/2022/12/04/madagascar-starts-works-on-first-motorway// |access-date=19 February 2023 |archive-date=19 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219235236/https://www.africanews.com/2022/12/04/madagascar-starts-works-on-first-motorway// |url-status=live }}</ref> Another project meant to create {{convert|348|km}} of roads and create better connections costs €235.5 million. This includes a €116 million grant from the [[European Union]], a €110 million loan from the [[European Investment Bank]], and €4.8 million in finance from the Republic of Madagascar.<ref name=":1403">{{Cite web |title=Road projects to combat climate events in Madagascar |url=https://www.eib.org/en/stories/madagascar-climate-roads |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=European Investment Bank |language=en |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424081522/https://www.eib.org/en/stories/madagascar-climate-roads |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 2016, €100.4 million has been paid to the Republic of Madagascar through this project.<ref name=":1403"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Madagascar: Project to modernise the RN13 and RN6 national highways - €73.6 million disbursement from EIB and European Union |url=https://www.eib.org/en/press/all/2022-550-projet-de-modernisation-des-routes-nationales-rn13-et-rn6-a-madagascar-decaissement-de-736-millions-d-euros-de-la-bei-et-de-l-union-europeenne |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=European Investment Bank |language=en |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424101606/https://www.eib.org/en/press/all/2022-550-projet-de-modernisation-des-routes-nationales-rn13-et-rn6-a-madagascar-decaissement-de-736-millions-d-euros-de-la-bei-et-de-l-union-europeenne |url-status=live }}</ref>

There are several [[rail lines in Madagascar]]. Antananarivo is connected to Toamasina, Ambatondrazaka and Antsirabe by rail, and another rail line connects Fianarantsoa to Manakara. The most important seaport in Madagascar is located on the east coast at Toamasina. Ports at Mahajanga and Antsiranana are significantly less used because of their remoteness.<ref name="LOC"/> Madagascar's government hopes to expand the ports of Antsiranana in the north and Taolagnaro in the south, connecting them to improved road networks, since many imports are every day necessities and Madagascar also relies on export money.'''<ref name=":1403"/>'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=High prices in Southern Madagascar limit poor households' food access {{!}} FEWS NET |url=https://fews.net/southern-africa/madagascar/food-security-outlook/february-2019 |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=fews.net |language=en |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424085751/https://fews.net/southern-africa/madagascar/food-security-outlook/february-2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Madagascar - COUNTRY ECONOMIC MEMORANDUM |url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/699781575279412305/pdf/Madagascar-Country-Economic-Memorandum-Scaling-Success-Building-a-Resilient-Economy.pdf |access-date=24 April 2023 |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424085750/https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/699781575279412305/pdf/Madagascar-Country-Economic-Memorandum-Scaling-Success-Building-a-Resilient-Economy.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The island's newest port at Ehoala, constructed in 2008 and privately managed by [[Rio Tinto (corporation)|Rio Tinto]], will come under state control upon completion of the company's mining project near Tôlanaro around 2038.<ref name = RioTinto/> [[Air Madagascar]] services the island's many small regional airports, which offer the only practical means of access to many of the more remote regions during rainy season road washouts.<ref name="LOC"/>

Running water and electricity are supplied at the national level by a government service provider, [[Jirama]], which is unable to service the entire population. {{As of|2009}}, only 6.8&nbsp;percent of Madagascar's ''fokontany'' had access to water provided by Jirama, while 9.5&nbsp;percent had access to its electricity services.<ref name=INSTAT/> Fifty-six percent of Madagascar's power is provided by hydroelectric power plants, with the remaining 44% provided by diesel engine generators.<ref>{{cite web |title = Production Electricité |publisher = Jirama |year = 2011 |url = http://www.jirama.mg/index.php?w=scripts&f=Jirama-page.php&act=pdcelec |access-date = 28 August 2013 |language = fr |archive-date = 16 August 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130816055715/http://www.jirama.mg/index.php?w=scripts&f=Jirama-page.php&act=pdcelec |url-status = live }}</ref> Mobile telephone and internet access are widespread in urban areas but remain limited in rural parts of the island. Approximately 30% of the districts are able to access the nations' several private telecommunications networks via mobile telephones or land lines.<ref name=INSTAT/> The [[World Bank]] estimates that 17 million people in Madagascar's rural areas live more than two kilometres away from an all-season road.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The World Bank Connectivity for Rural Livelihood Improvement Project |url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/fr/810821574132477851/pdf/Madagascar-Connectivity-for-Rural-Livelihood-Improvement-Project.pdf |access-date=24 April 2023 |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424091253/https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/fr/810821574132477851/pdf/Madagascar-Connectivity-for-Rural-Livelihood-Improvement-Project.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In Madagascar, 11% of the rural population has access to power.'''<ref name=":1403"/>'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Madagascar Set to Expand Access to Renewable Energy and Digital Services thanks to $400 Million Credit |url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/04/07/madagascar-afe-set-to-expand-access-to-renewable-energy-and-digital-services-thanks-to-400-million-credit |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=World Bank |language=en |archive-date=24 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424085751/https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2023/04/07/madagascar-afe-set-to-expand-access-to-renewable-energy-and-digital-services-thanks-to-400-million-credit |url-status=live }}</ref>

Radio broadcasts remain the principal means by which the Malagasy population access international, national, and local news. Only state radio broadcasts are transmitted across the entire island. Hundreds of public and private stations with local or regional range provide alternatives to state broadcasting.<ref name=mediainfo/> In addition to the state television channel, a variety of privately owned television stations broadcast local and international programming throughout Madagascar. Several media outlets are owned by political partisans or politicians themselves, including the media groups MBS (owned by Ravalomanana) and Viva (owned by Rajoelina),<ref name=CrossroadsMarcus>{{cite web |last1 = Bachelard |first1 = Jerome |last2 = Marcus |first2 = Richard |title = Countries at the Crossroads 2011: Madagascar |publisher = Freedom House |year = 2011 |url =http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/inline_images/MADAGASCARfinal.pdf |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120608195355/http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/inline_images/MADAGASCARfinal.pdf |archive-date = 8 June 2012 |url-status=live |access-date = 25 August 2012}}</ref> contributing to political polarization in reporting.

The media have historically come under varying degrees of pressure to censor their criticism of the government. Reporters are occasionally threatened or harassed, and media outlets are periodically forced to close.<ref name=mediainfo/> Accusations of media censorship have increased since 2009 because of the alleged intensification of restrictions on political criticism.<ref name=DOS/> Access to the internet has grown dramatically in the 21st century; in December 2011, an estimated 352,000 residents of Madagascar accessed the internet from home or in one of the nation's many internet cafés .<ref name=mediainfo>{{cite news |title = Madagascar Profile: Media |work = BBC News |date = 20 June 2012 |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13861846 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120816011234/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13861846 |archive-date = 16 August 2012 |url-status=live |access-date = 25 August 2012}}</ref> By January 2022, 22.3 percent of the population (6.43 million people) had internet access, mostly through mobile phones.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-16 |title=Digital 2022: Madagascar |url=https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-madagascar |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=DataReportal – Global Digital Insights |language=en-GB}}</ref>