Madagascar: Geography#

LocationSouthern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
Geographic Coordinates20 00 S, 47 00 E -20.0,47.0
Area total: 587,041 sq km
land: 581,540 sq km
water: 5,501 sq km
[Verified in 8 databases]
Land boundaries0 km
Coastline4,828 km
Elevation Extremeslowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m
Highest MountainsAccording to Wolfram: Maromokotro 2876 m
According to Geonames:Maromokotro 2876 m; andranofito 1752 m; Vohimanga 1038 m
List verified partially
Attempted Explanation: Please help us to try to explain the discrepancies by sending us helpful information to office@global-geography.org
Terrainnarrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Natural Hazardsperiodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation volcanism: Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in historical times
Natural Resourcegraphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Land Usearable land: 5.96%
permanent crops: 1.02%
other: 93.02% (2011)
Climatetropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Irrigated Land10,860 sq km (2003)
Renewable Water Resources337 cu km (2011)
Environment_CurrentIssuessoil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island
Environment - international agreementsparty to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Large CitiesAntananarivo; Toamasina; Antsirabe; Fianarantsoa; Mahajanga
[Verified]
Important Cities
Geography-noteworld's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel