Key Facts about Madagascar

About Madagascar:

• It is an island country of Africa.
• It is located around 400 km off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean, with the nearest mainland African country being Mozambique.
• It is separated from the African coast by the Mozambique Channel.
• It is the second-largest island country in the world. It covers an area of 592,800 sq.km.
• The island country of Mauritius and Réunion (territory of France), lie to the east of Madagascar.
• To the northwest are the French territory of Mayotte and the island country of Comoros.
• The Tsaratanana Massif region at the northern end of the island is home to Madagascar’s highest point, Maromokotro, at 2,876 m.
• History:
  • France invaded the island in 1883. France officially declared Madagascar a French colony in 1896.
  • After World War II, in 1947, locals fought for their independence from France in what became known as the Malagasy Uprising.
  • In 1960, Madagascar finally became an independent nation.
• Capital: Antananarivo
• Languages: Malagasy, French
• Government: It is a semi-presidential republic. The public elects a president, who in turn appoints a prime minister to put together a cabinet to advise the president.
• Economy:
  • Eighty percent of Madagascar’s economy is fueled by agricultural industries, including forestry and fishing.
  • Among the island’s most frequently sold agricultural products are coffee, vanilla, and sugarcane.
• Biodiversity:
  • Lush rainforests, dry deserts, and grassy plains cover the island, with coral reefs and mangrove forests stretching along its coastlines.
  • Almost 90 percent of the plants and animals living on Madagascar aren’t found anywhere else in the world.
  • That’s because strong ocean currents have isolated the island from the African continent, so the species living there haven’t traveled beyond the island’s borders.