Madagascar

Madagascar, formally the Republic of Madagascar, occupies a singular place among the nations of the globe. As the world’s fourth-largest island and second-largest island nation, it spans some 592,800 square kilometres off Africa’s southeastern shore. Its capital, Antananarivo, rises amid the central highlands, a nexus of rice terraces and subhumid forests. Beyond its scale, Madagascar’s significance derives from the 90-plus million years of isolation that followed its gradual separation first from Africa—around 180 million years ago—and later from the Indian subcontinent about 90 million years ago. That prolonged seclusion fostered evolutionary pathways unique on Earth, earning the island designation as both a biodiversity hotspot and one of seventeen “megadiverse” nations, with over ninety percent of its flora and fauna found nowhere else.

A narrow, steep escarpment clings to much of the eastern coast, sheltering lowland rain forests under constant Indian Ocean mists. Westward, a central plateau rises between 750 and 1,500 metres, its grassy hills pierced by terraced valleys where the Merina people, Madagascar’s most numerous ethnic group, perfected rice cultivation. Beyond that, terrain slopes gradually toward the Mozambique Channel, yielding dry deciduous woods, spiny thickets of the southwest, and coastal mangroves. These varied ecoregions harbor seven recognized terrestrial habitats—from humid lowland woods to ericoid thickets—within which more than eighty percent of the island’s 14,883 plant species are endemic. Among these, baobabs stand sentinel along riverbanks; orchids, palms and the bizarre Didiereaceae sprawl across the island; and the cavernous Pachypodium blooms in arid landscapes. Medicinal plants such as the periwinkle have yielded chemotherapy agents—including vinblastine and vincristine—demonstrating Madagascar’s contribution to global health.

The human story began in the mid-first millennium AD, when Austronesian sailors—arriving in outrigger canoes from present-day Indonesia—first settled the island. Bantu migrants followed in the ninth century, crossing the Mozambique Channel to join earlier inhabitants and shape a complex mosaic of eighteen or more cultural groups bound by the Malagasy language. Over centuries, shifting alliances produced a patchwork of polities until, in the early nineteenth century, Merina monarchs consolidated much of the island under the Kingdom of Madagascar. French annexation in 1897 ended the monarchy; independence arrived in 1960. Four constitutional republics have followed, with democratic governance restored in 2014 after a protracted political transition that began with a coup in 2009.

Today, Madagascar holds membership in the United Nations, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community and the Francophonie. Malagasy and French share official status. Christianity predominates—especially Protestant and Catholic denominations—though ancestral faiths persist. Despite steady economic growth since the 2000s, the nation remains classed as “least developed.” Agriculture, ecotourism and fledgling industries compose its development strategy, yet as of January 2025 more than 1.3 million people faced severe food insecurity, and over ninety percent subsisted on under US $3.10 per day. Multidimensional poverty affects over two-thirds of the population, and income inequality has widened even as gross domestic product grows.

Infrastructure reflects both ambition and challenge. National roadways—paved highways connecting Antananarivo with major ports such as Toamasina or Mahajanga—coexist alongside dirt tracks that wash away in the rainy season. Rail lines link the capital to coastal cities, while small regional airports provide vital access during floods. A toll highway under construction between Antananarivo and Toamasina, financed by European institutions, seeks to strengthen trade routes. Yet only a fraction of communities enjoy running water or electricity from the state utility, and rural dwellers often remain isolated from basic services.

Cultural continuity springs from a shared language—rooted in Malayo-Polynesian origins—and values such as fihavanana (solidarity) and hasina (sacred authority). Musical instruments like the bamboo valiha trace directly to Southeast Asia, while the woven lamba garment symbolizes both artistry and identity. Daily life revolves around rice, accompanied by laoka dishes flavored with ginger, garlic or coconut milk, and punctuated by street foods and tropical fruits. Three Horses Beer, brewed locally, has gained near-iconic status.

Cyclones, a recurrent hazard, test resilience. In 2004, Cyclone Gafilo inflicted record damage and loss of life; subsequent storms, including Batsirai and Ana in early 2022, underscored the island’s vulnerability. Environmental threats—from deforestation to climate change—compound these dangers, prompting calls for expansive conservation efforts.

Madagascar’s allure lies not solely in its remarkable natural inheritance, but in the complex interplay of geography, history and human ingenuity that shapes its present. Isolation forged its unique ecosystems; waves of settlers crafted diverse cultures; modern challenges drive innovation and reform. The Republic of Madagascar remains, above all, a testament to endurance and adaptation at the edge of two oceans.