The Malagasy language of Malay-Polynesian origin is spoken throughout the island. The official languages of Madagascar are Malagasy and French. Madagascar is also a member of the Francophonie , and French is spoken among the educated population of this former French colony .
In the first Constitution of 1958, Malagasy and French were called the official languages of the Malagasy Republic.
No official languages are mentioned in the 1992 Constitution. Instead, the Malagasy language is called the national language; however, many sources still claim that Malagasy and French were official languages (de facto). In April 2000, a citizen brought a lawsuit on the grounds that the publication of official documents in French is unconstitutional. The Supreme Constitutional Court observed in its decision that, in the absence of a law on languages, the French language still had the character of an official language.
In the 2007 Constitution, Malagasy remains the national language, while the official languages were re-introduced: Malagasy, French and English. The motivation to include English partially improves relations with neighboring countries when English is used and encouraged by foreign direct investment . English was removed as an official language from the constitution approved by voters in a referendum (November 2010). These results are not recognized by the political opposition of the World Community , which refers to a lack of transparency and openness in the organization of elections of the Supreme Transitional Administration of Madagascar .
Links
- Languages of Madagascar at Ethnologue
- Joshua Project (all peoples, languages, etc.)