Madagascar - Housing

Malagasy houses, although constructed of varying materials in different parts of the island (brick and wood in the plateau, thatch and leaves in the west, and often on stilts in the east), are always rectangular, sited north–south, with the doorway opening to the west. In the central plateau, they are often two stories high and have outside terraces. The rapid growth of towns after World War II created grave problems of housing and sanitation, especially in Antananarivo, whose situation on a rocky promontory aggravates the difficulties of overcrowding. In the late 1980s, the latest period for which information is available, the housing stock totaled 2,350,000 with 4.5 people per dwelling.