▁island ▁was ▁un ited ▁and ▁ruled ▁as ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Mad agas car ▁by ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁Mer ina ▁nobles . ▁The ▁mon archy ▁ended ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁when ▁the ▁island ▁was ▁absor bed ▁into ▁the ▁French ▁colonial ▁emp ire , ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁island ▁gained ▁independence ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁The ▁autonom ous ▁state ▁of ▁Mad agas car ▁has ▁since ▁under g one ▁four ▁major ▁constitution al ▁periods , ▁term ed ▁republic s . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁the ▁nation ▁has ▁officially ▁been ▁govern ed ▁as ▁a ▁constitution al ▁dem ocracy ▁from ▁its ▁capital ▁at ▁Ant an an ar ivo . ▁However , ▁in ▁a ▁popular ▁u pr ising ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁president ▁Marc ▁R aval oman ana ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁res ign ▁and ▁president ial ▁power ▁was ▁transferred ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁to ▁And ry ▁R ajo el ina . ▁Constitution al ▁govern ance ▁was ▁restored ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁when ▁H ery ▁R aja on ar im amp ian ina ▁was ▁named ▁president ▁following ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁election ▁de emed ▁fair ▁and ▁transparent ▁by ▁the ▁international ▁community . ▁Mad agas car ▁is ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Nations , ▁the ▁African ▁Union ▁( AU ), ▁the ▁Southern ▁African ▁Development ▁Community ▁( S AD C ), ▁and ▁the ▁Organisation ▁Intern ationale ▁de ▁la ▁Franc oph onie . ▁ ▁Mad agas car ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁group ▁of ▁least ▁developed