Madagascar

In brief

Madagascar is a country in East Africa. Its capital is Antananarivo. With 32.7 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 49th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 587,041 km². An island nation, Madagascar has no land border.

GDP per capita stands at $599 (2025), 190th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 63.8 years (2024). 33% of the population lives in cities.

History of Madagascar

Madagascar was settled in the first millennium by seafarers from South-East Asia, from the Borneo region, and then by people from East Africa: Malagasy belongs to the Austronesian language family. In the 19th century the Merina kingdom unified much of the island. Colonised by France in 1896, the island rose up in 1947, a revolt harshly put down. Madagascar has been independent since 26 June 1960.

Geography of Madagascar

The fourth-largest island in the world, separated from the mainland for tens of millions of years, Madagascar is home to wildlife and plants largely found nowhere else, such as lemurs and several species of baobab. The central highlands separate a humid, forested east coast from a drier west.

Map of Madagascar

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Flag of Madagascar

The flag of Madagascar is red, white and green. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• White33%
• Red33%
• Green33%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

A vertical white band at the hoist, then red over green. Adopted in 1958, it combines white for purity, red for sovereignty and green for hope; it is also read as the peoples of the highlands and of the coasts.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Madagascar” and “Flag of Madagascar”.

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Fact file

Economy and society