Madagascar Travel Podcast with Hery Rakoto

Location

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique

Terrain

Narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Climate

Tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Elevation

Highest point

Maromokotro 2,876 m

Lowest point

Indian Ocean 0 m

Mean elevation

615 m

Area

Total

587,041 sq km

Land

581,540 sq km

Water

5,501 sq km

Size comparison

Almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

Coastline

4,828 km

Land borders

Total 0 km

Natural resources

Graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

Land use

Agricultural land

70.3% (2023 est.)

Arable land

5.2% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

1% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

64.1% (2023 est.)

Forest

17.5% (2023 est.)

Other

12.2% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Periodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation

Volcanism: Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in recorded history

Note

World's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel; despite Madagascar’s close proximity to the African continent, ocean currents isolate the island, resulting in high rates of endemic plant and animal species; approximately 90% of the flora and fauna on the island are found nowhere else

Population

Total

31,345,040 (2025 est.)

Male

15,647,362

Female

15,697,678

Nationality

Noun

Malagasy (singular and plural)

Adjective

Malagasy

Ethnic groups

Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

Languages

Malagasy (official) 99.9%, French (official) 23.6%, English 8.2%, other 0.6% (2018 est.)

Religions

Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/Malagasy Lutheran Church/Anglican Church 34%, Roman Catholic 32.3%, other Christian 8.1%, traditional/Animist 1.7%, Muslim 1.4%, other 0.6%, none 21.9% (2021 est.)

Median age

Total

20.5 years (2025 est.)

Male

21.1 years

Female

21.5 years

Life expectancy

Total population

68.8 years (2024 est.)

Male

67.3 years

Female

70.3 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

40.6% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

4.26% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Where people live

Most of population lives on the eastern half of the island; significant clustering is found in the central highlands and eastern coastline, as shown in this population distribution map

Largest cities

3.872 million ANTANANARIVO (capital) (2023)

Background

Madagascar was one of the last major habitable landmasses on earth to be settled by humans. While there is some evidence of human presence on the island in the millennia B.C., large-scale settlement began between A.D. 350 and 550 with settlers from present-day Indonesia. The island attracted Arab and Persian traders as early as the 7th century, and migrants from Africa arrived around A.D. 1000. Madagascar was a pirate stronghold during the late 17th and early 18th centuries and served as a slave trading center into the 19th century. From the 16th to the late 19th century, a native Merina Kingdom dominated much of Madagascar. The French conquered the island in 1896 and made it a colony; independence was regained in 1960.

Free presidential and National Assembly elections were held in 1992-93, ending 17 years of single-party rule. In 1997, in the second presidential race, Didier RATSIRAKA, the leader during the 1970s and 1980s, returned to the presidency. The 2001 presidential election was contested between the followers of RATSIRAKA and Marc RAVALOMANANA, nearly causing half the country to secede. In 2002, the High Constitutional Court announced RAVALOMANANA the winner. He won a second term in 2006 but, following protests in 2009, handed over power to the military, which then conferred the presidency on the mayor of Antananarivo, Andry RAJOELINA, in what amounted to a coup d'etat. After a lengthy mediation process, Madagascar held UN-supported presidential and parliamentary elections in 2013. Former de facto finance minister Hery RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA won in a runoff and was inaugurated in 2014. In 2019, RAJOELINA was declared the winner against RAVALOMANANA. In 2023, RAJOELINA won another term in an election that most of the opposition boycotted, including RAJAONARIMAMPIANINA and RAVALOMANANA, who claimed it was rigged in favor of RAJOELINA. International observers, however, saw no evidence of systemic fraud, leading the international community to accept the election results.

Government

Semi-presidential republic

Capital

Antananarivo

Time zone

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

République de Madagascar/Repoblikan'i Madagasikara

Independence

26 June 1960 (from France)

National day

Independence Day, 26 June (1960)

Overview

Low-income East African island economy; natural resource rich; extreme poverty; return of political stability has helped growth; sharp tax revenue drop due to COVID-19; leading vanilla producer; environmentally fragile

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$1,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$1,600 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$1,600 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

9.9% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8.2% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

5.8% (2021 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

3.1% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.2% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Malagasy ariary (MGA) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

4,525.425 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

4,429.579 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

4,096.116 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

3,829.978 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

3,787.754 (2020 est.)

Main industries

Meat processing, seafood, soap, beer, leather, sugar, textiles, glassware, cement, automobile assembly plant, paper, petroleum, tourism, mining

Agriculture

Rice, sugarcane, cassava, sweet potatoes, milk, bananas, vegetables, mangoes/guavas, maize, potatoes (2023)

Airports

93 (2025)

Railways

Total

836 km (2018)

Narrow gauge

836 km (2018) 1.000-m gauge

Ports

Total ports

13 (2024)

Large

0

Medium

0

Small

2

Very small

11

Ports with oil terminals

5

Key ports

Andoany, Antsiranana, Antsohim Bondrona, Iharana, Mahajanga, Maintirano, Manakara, Mananjary, Maroantsetra, Morondava, Toamasina, Tolanaro, Toliara

Internet domain

.mg

Internet users

Percent of population 20% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

23.5 million (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

76 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

Erosion and soil degradation from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; agricultural fires; water pollution from raw sewage and other organic wastes; wildlife preservation

Fresh water

337 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)