▁countries , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Nations . ▁Mal ag asy ▁and ▁French ▁are ▁both ▁official ▁languages ▁of ▁the ▁state . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁ad her es ▁to ▁traditional ▁belief s , ▁Christian ity , ▁or ▁an ▁am alg am ation ▁of ▁both . ▁E cot our ism ▁and ▁agricult ure , ▁pa ired ▁with ▁greater ▁invest ments ▁in ▁education , ▁health , ▁and ▁private ▁enter prise , ▁are ▁key ▁elements ▁of ▁Mad agas car ' s ▁development ▁strategy . ▁Under ▁R aval oman ana , ▁these ▁invest ments ▁produced ▁substantial ▁economic ▁growth , ▁but ▁the ▁benefits ▁were ▁not ▁even ly ▁spread ▁throughout ▁the ▁population , ▁producing ▁t ensions ▁over ▁the ▁increasing ▁cost ▁of ▁living ▁and ▁decl ining ▁living ▁standards ▁among ▁the ▁poor ▁and ▁some ▁segments ▁of ▁the ▁middle ▁class . ▁, ▁the ▁economy ▁has ▁been ▁weak ened ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 3 ▁political ▁crisis , ▁and ▁quality ▁of ▁life ▁remains ▁low ▁for ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁Mal ag asy ▁population . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁In ▁the ▁Mal ag asy ▁language , ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Mad agas car ▁is ▁called ▁Mad agas ik ara ▁() ▁and ▁its ▁people ▁are ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Mal ag asy . ▁The ▁island ' s ▁app ell ation ▁" Mad agas car " ▁is ▁not ▁of ▁local ▁origin ▁but ▁rather ▁was ▁popular ized ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁by ▁Europe ans . ▁The ▁name ▁Mad age is car ▁was ▁first ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁mem oir s ▁of ▁