The Geography of Madagascar
 Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world with 587 000 sq km (larger than France). Situated in the Indian Ocean, crossed by the Tropic of Capricorn, the island occupies a strategic position with its coast turned to the Mozambique Channel.
Madagascar offers five climates:
North and North-West, the region has abundant annual rainfall during the rainy season, from December to April. The climate is equatorial with temperatures between 15˚C to 37˚C.
East, North-East and South-East, reigns a very humid equatorial climate, the straight coastline is exposed to trade winds and devastating cyclones during the months of January to March.
The vast West of Madagascar is drier than the East and is characterised by immense stretches of open savannah. Temperatures range from 10˚C to 37˚C
In the middle of the island, The Highlands are between 1200 and 1500 metres in altitude. The climate is of a Mediterranean type with average annual temperatures at around 20˚C.
The South of Madagascar is very dry and rain is rare. Extreme temperatures are great, from 6˚C to 40˚C. The climate type is semi-desert.
The whole island weathers the trade winds and monsoon rainy season.
There are two seasons:
The Rainy Season (hot) from November to April,
The Dry Season (cool) from May to October.
A unique geological past
Continental drift has shown that India, Australia, the Antarctic, Madagascar, Southern Africa and America were part of a land called Gondwana.
At the end of the Tertiary era, 150 million years ago, this land broke up to form different continents. From the Quaternary, Madagascar was situated more or less where it is now.
This origin helps to explain the existence of a common flora and fauna between Madagascar, Southern Africa and America, as well as similar geological profiles. However, the isolation of Madagascar across geological time also caused the unique evolution of its flora and fauna. Species that are found nowhere else are found in Madagascar (endemic), of which lemurs are a well-know example. From a geological point of view, the periodic structure of the evolving planet can be found in Madagascar. The highest point on the island is Maromokotro, on the Tsaratanana Massif, at 2 876 metres high.
Because of its relief, Madagascar brings together a unique mosaique of different sceneries. The contrasts of the bush in the South, the rainforests of the East, the granite highlands- sometimes rising into volcanic massifs, and the sedimentary savannah and hills of the west all make up the vast island of Madagascar.
Provinces
Madagascar has six provinces, each named after their capital. In 2004, the island was officially re-organised into 22 regions, as follows:
The 6 provinces of Madagascar and their regions
Antananarivo: Analamanga, Bongolava, Itasy, Vakinankaratra, population of 4 637 000.
Antsiranana (Diégo-Suarez): Diana, Sava, population of 1 188 500.
Fianarantsoa: Amoron'i Mania, Atsimo Atsinanana, Haute Matsiatra, Ihorombe, Vatovavy Fitovinany, population of 3 366 000.
Mahajanga (Majunga): Betsiboka, Boeny, Melaky, Sofia, population of 1 734 000.
Toamasina (Tamatave): Aloatra Mangoro, Analanjirofo, Atsinanana, population of 2 593 000.
Toliara: Androy, Anosy, Atsimo Andrefana, Menabe |
