An island country in the Indian Ocean 392 kilometers east of the southeastern part of the African Continent across the Mozambique Channel. République de Madagascar, officially known as the Republic of Madagascar. It consists of Madagascar, the fourth largest island in the world, and a small coastal island.
Madagascar Nature
Madagascar Island has the Backbone Mountains running from north to south, and its eastern side is steeply sloping into the Indian Ocean, forming a narrow eastern coastline. On the other hand, the west side extends to the Mozambique Channel with a gentle slope, forming a wide plain. The highest peak of the island, Tsaratanana (2886 meters), is located in the northern province of Antilanana. The plains in the northwest are the breadbasket, and the plains in the southwest are cultivated with rice, cotton, tobacco and cassava.
The southern tip is rich in mineral resources, the eastern coastline is hot, suitable for coffee, vanilla, clove and sugar cane cultivation, and has the largest port, Toamasina. The Central Highlands are the administrative and cultural center, including the capital Antananarivo.
Madagascar animals
Although the distance from the African Continent is relatively short at about 400 kilometers, the fauna is peculiar, and in terms of zoogeography, it is classified as the Madagascar sub-district of the former tropical region together with neighboring islands such as the Saychel Islands. In general, the number of species is not large, and it is closer to Ethiopia (Africa) than the Oriental sub-district (India, Southeast Asia), but there are many animal groups specially produced in Madagascar.
Economy / Industry
Madagascar is an agricultural nation, with agriculture accounting for about 40% of its gross domestic product (GDP) and about 80% of the total working population. The main agricultural products are rice, sugar cane, coffee, vanilla, cloves, pepper, cotton, sisal, legumes, peanuts and tobacco. Furthermore, since independence, palm oil and tea have been cultivated on the eastern coast. Coffee and sugar cane plantations run by the French were nationalized in 1977.
