Madagascar18.63° S, 46.70° E
No land border at all — every neighbor is across water, along 4,828 km of coast, the 30th longest on Earth.
land borders 0 km · 164th/230 · coastline 4,828 km · 30th/229
CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · ranks computed across the countries in this atlas that carry the value
geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m · EPSG:6933 equal-area
Each line is every country in this atlas that carries the value, ordered smallest to largest. The line down the middle is the world median; the mark on each line is this country.
The name began as a variant first used in the 13th century by Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who confused the island with Somalia's port of Mogadishu. The transliteration was later adopted as the official name.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
An island in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar lies in Southern Africa, east of Mozambique. Along the Mozambique Channel, Madagascar lies close to the African continent, but ocean currents isolate the island. That isolation results in high rates of endemic plant and animal species.
Its terrain includes a narrow coastal plain, a high plateau, and mountains in the center. Madagascar's natural resources include graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, and hydropower. Maromokotro forms the island's highest point. The Indian Ocean marks its lowest point.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Along the coast, the climate is tropical; inland, it is temperate, while the south is arid.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
Its government is a semi-presidential republic. The legal system is a civil law system based on the old French civil code and customary law in matters of marriage, family, and obligation. The current constitution was passed by referendum 17 November 2010 and promulgated 11 December 2010. Independence from France came on 26 June 1960. Its national holiday is Independence Day, 26 June (1960).
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
The flag has two equal horizontal bands, red on top and green below, with a vertical white band on the left side. Red stands for sovereignty, green for hope, and white for purity. The national symbols are the traveller's palm (ravenala) and zebu.
Source: CIA World Factbook · 2026-02-01 · text generated from this source, approved by a person
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