| Location | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique |
| Geographic coordinates | 20 00 S, 47 00 E |
| Map references | Africa |
| Area | total: 587,041 sq km land: 581,540 sq km water: 5,501 sq km |
| Area - comparative | almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Arizona |
| Land boundaries | total: 0 km |
| Coastline | 4,828 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m isobath |
| Climate | tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south |
| Terrain | narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 615 m |
| Natural resources | graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 71.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 64.1% (2018 est.) forest: 21.5% (2018 est.) other: 7.4% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 10,860 sq km (2012) |
| Total renewable water resources | 337 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Natural hazards | periodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation volcanism: Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in historical times |
| Geography - 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 |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
