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Madagascar

Africa · 28 million

About Madagascar

Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is a sovereign country located in Africa, specifically within the Eastern Africa subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is Antananarivo, and the country is home to approximately 31.7 million people. In its native languages, the country is known as “Madagascar”, “Madagasikara”. French and Malagasy are recognised as official or widely-spoken languages, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Madagascar. The official currency in circulation is the Malagasy ariary (Ar), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Madagascar is widely recognised for its unique lemurs, towering baobab trees and vanilla production. People from Madagascar are referred to as Malagasy.

Geography & climate

Madagascar covers approximately 587,041 km² of territory, making it a large country by land area. The country is an island nation (or otherwise lacks land borders), surrounded entirely by water and dependent on maritime and air links to reach its neighbours. Geographically, Madagascar sits in the Southern and Eastern Hemisphere, at roughly 20.0° S, 47.0° E. Standard civil time follows UTC+03:00 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Madagascar can be summarised as: indian ocean island with tropical with regional contrasts. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 31.7 million inhabitants, Madagascar is a country of significant population size. Linguistic life is plural here: French and Malagasy are all in active use, with regional and minority tongues often adding further variety. Citizens are formally known in English as Malagasy, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the Malagasy ariary (Ar) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Madagascar should familiarise themselves with the capital, Antananarivo, the local time zone (UTC+03:00), the local currency (Malagasy ariary). The international dialling prefix is +261, which is required when phoning a Madagascar number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the right side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .mg, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Monday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Madagascar is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Madagascar is generally classified within the Africa region and more specifically the Eastern Africa subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties. GlobeIQ groups it under "East Africa" for the purposes of the game's regional hint.

Did you know?

Separated from the Asian continent 88 million years ago, over 90% of wildlife — including all lemur species — evolved nowhere else on the planet.

Madagascar in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Madagascar appears as a tougher puzzle reserved for geography fans who can pick up subtler hints. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Madagascar carries the personality tags “🦎 Lemur Kingdom” and “🌴 Island of Origins”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Madagascar to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

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