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| Official Name : |
RÉPUBLIQUE DE MADAGASCAR (Republic of Madagascar) |
| Land Area: |
587,041 sq kilometres / 226,658 sq miles. |
| Population: |
18,040,000 (July 2005). Density 30.7 persons per square kilometre. |
| Languages: |
French and Malagasy (both official). |
| Religions: |
Traditional beliefs 50%, Christian 40%, Muslim 8%. |
| Capital: |
Antananarivo. Population 1,900,000 |
| Currency: |
Malagasy franc, divided into 100 centimes. |
| Independant: |
October 1958 as the Malagasy Republic, from France. |
| Geography: |
Separated from the southeastern African mainland by the 400km wide Mozambique Channel, Madagascar is the worlds 4th largest island. To the west, low plateaus drop slowly to a broad coastal plain of sparse deciduous trees.
Running through the centre of the island for most of its length is the highlands of the Haut Plateaux. To the east, the Haut Plateaux ends in a series of abrupt escarpments that plunge down through rainforested hills to a narrow coastal plain. Most of the island was until recently extensively forested. |
