Madagascar — Capital, Flag and Country Facts

Explore Madagascar: capital Antananarivo, population, flag, geography, languages, history and culture.

Madagascar is in Africa. Its capital is Antananarivo.

Climate

Tropical along coast; temperate inland; arid in south

Narrow coastal plain; high central plateau; mountains along the eastern escarpment

Madagascar has 90% of its wildlife found nowhere else on Earth.

Madagascar is the world's fourth-largest island, spanning 587,041 sq km.

The island split from the Indian subcontinent about 88 million years ago.

1500: Portuguese explorers become the first Europeans to sight the island

1787: Merina Kingdom unifies much of the island under King Andrianampoinimerina

1896: France colonizes Madagascar, ending the Merina monarchy

1960: Independence from France under President Philibert Tsiranana

2009: Political crisis leads to unconstitutional change of government