Destination Madagascar, a Nations Online country profile of the Big Red Island. Africa's largest island is located in the Indian Ocean, about 420 km (260 miles) east of the coast of Mozambique and is separated from the African continent by the Mozambique Channel.

Madagascar shares maritime borders with Comoros, France (Mayotte and Réunion), Mauritius, Mozambique and Seychelles.

The fourth-largest island in the world has been isolated for about 80 million years, and many of its plants and animals are unique to the island. The prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana separated the Madagascar-Indian landmass from Africa around 150 million years ago. 70 million years later, Madagascar split off from the Indian tectonic plate. Due to its isolation in a remote area of the Indian Ocean, flora and fauna on the island had developed independently.

With an area of 587,041 km², the island is slightly larger than France, or twice the size of the US state of Arizona. The island has a subtropical to tropical maritime climate.

Madagascar has a population of more than 28 million inhabitants in 2021. The capital and largest city is Antananarivo. Spoken languages are Malagasy and French. Christianity is the predominant religion, more than 80% of the population are Christians, but traditional beliefs are deeply rooted in society.

What is Madagascar famous for?

The island of Madagascar is best known for its unique fauna and flora, but there is more to learn about it.

The oldest island on the planet

Madagascar is possibly the oldest island on the planet since the break up of Gondwana continent.

A unique fauna and flora

The island is best known for its unique fauna and flora; it is populated by lemurs, fossas, Malagasy civets, chameleons, frogs, and weird aye-ayes.

Humpback whales

In its coastal waters, the island is a breeding and calving ground for humpback whales.

The elephant bird

Madagascar was home to the elephant bird, an extinct flightless creature; the Vorombe titan was the largest known bird in the world, with height up to 3m and weight up to 700kg.

Baobabs and traveler's palms

Probably the most famous plants of Madagascar are the iconic baobabs (Adansonia grandidieri) and the traveler's palm (Ravenala madagascariensis), a national landmark. The Allée des Baobabs, the dirt road lined with baobab trees, is probably the most photographed attraction in the country.

Rice

The chief food crop of Madagascar is rice.

Vanilla

About half of the world's production of vanilla comes from Madagascar.

The Settlement of Madagascar

The settlement of Madagascar is one of the most unusual and least understood episodes in human prehistory. Madagascar was settled about 1200 years ago by a very small group of women (about 30), most of whom were of Maritime Southeast Asian descent (about 93%).

Queen Ranavalona I

Madagascar's Queen Ranavalona I (reigned 1828-61) was dubbed the "Mad Queen" by British colonial powers for taking drastic measures to expand her empire while protecting Malagasy sovereignty from the aggressive advance of European influence, including that of British Protestant missionaries.

Face painting

Masonjoany is the application of sandalwood paste to the face, full face or in floral patterns, or both.

Lamba

Lambas are the traditional, woven garments of rectangular length (like a scarf or a sash) worn by both men and women.

Zanahary

In traditional beliefs, Zanahary is the creator god and supreme deity of the Malagasy pantheon. The god includes female and male aspects and manifests in both heavenly and earthly forms.

Fady

The daily life of the Malagasy people is dominated by thousands of cultural taboos (fady). Fady are (mainly superstitious) taboos, rules or behaviors that apply to a wide range of situations, people, places, or colors. To break a taboo, ritual negotiations with the ancestors would be necessary.

Famadihana

Famadihana is a family celebration of a special kind. An important part of the traditional celebration is that the remains of the ancestors are taken from their burial site, wrapped in fresh cloths and participate in the festivities.

Aloalo

The aloalo is the Malagasy version of a tombstone, a pole sculpture placed on the graves of important people in the southwestern region of Madagascar.

Salegy

Salegy is the popular contemporary music from Madagascar.

Moraingy

Moraingy is Madagascar's combat sport, also known as Malagasy bare-knuckle boxing.

Libertalia and Antsiranana Bay

The Antsiranana Bay was used for shelter by a number of pirates and privateers during the Golden Age of Piracy. It was possibly the location of the legendary pirate colony Libertalia.

Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park

The Great Tsingy and the Little Tsingy, "the place where one cannot walk barefoot," is a bizarre limestone badland, a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [UNESCO]

Nosy Be

Nosy Be is an island off the coast of northwestern Madagascar and the island nation's most popular beach destination.