Madagascar

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Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from Africa during the Early Jurassic period, around 180 million years ago, and from the Indian subcontinent approximately 90 million years ago. This isolation allowed native plants and animals to evolve in relative seclusion. As a result, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries, with over 90% of its wildlife being endemic. The island has a subtropical to tropical maritime climate.

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Etymology

In the Malagasy language, the island of Madagascar is called Madagasikara (Malagasy pronunciation: [madaɡasʲˈkʲarə̥]) and its people are referred to as Malagasy. The origin of the name is uncertain, and is likely foreign, having been propagated in the Middle Ages by Europeans. If this is the case, it is unknown when the name was adopted by the inhabitants of the island. No single Malagasy-language name predating Madagasikara appears to have been used by the local population to refer to it, although some communities had their name for part or all of the lands they inhabited.

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History

Traditionally, archeologists have estimated that the earliest settlers arrived in successive waves in outrigger canoes from South Borneo, possibly throughout the period between 350 BCE and 550 CE, whereas others are cautious about dates earlier than 250 CE. In either case, these dates make Madagascar one of the most recent major landmasses on Earth to be settled by humans, predating the settlement of Iceland and New Zealand. It has been proposed that Ma'anyan people were brought as laborers and slaves by Javan and Sumatran-Malays in their trading fleets to Madagascar.

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Geography

With 592,800 square kilometres (228,900 sq mi), Madagascar is the world's 46th-largest country, the second-largest island country and the fourth-largest island. The country lies mostly between latitudes 12°S and 26°S and longitudes 43°E and 51°E. Neighboring islands include the French territory of Réunion and the country of Mauritius to the east, as well as the state of Comoros and the French territory of Mayotte to the northwest. The nearest mainland state is Mozambique, located to the west.

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Government

Madagascar is a semi-presidential representative democratic multi-party republic, wherein the popularly elected president is the head of state. He selects a prime minister, who recommends candidates to him to form his cabinet of ministers. According to the Constitution, executive power is exercised by the government, whereas legislative power is vested in the ministerial cabinet, the Senate, and the National Assembly—although in reality the two latter bodies have very little power or legislative role.

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Economy

Madagascar's GDP in 2015 was estimated at US$9.98 billion, with a per-capita GDP of $411.82. Approximately 69% of the population lived below the national poverty line threshold of one dollar per day; and according to the United Nations Development Programme, 68.4% of the population was multidimensionally poor as of 2021.

During 2011–15, the country's average growth rate was 2.6% but expected to have reached 4.1% in 2016, due to public works programs and growth of the service sector. As of 2011, the agriculture sector constituted 29% of the GDP, with manufacturing at 15%.

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Demographics

Only two general censuses, in 1975 and 1993, have been carried out after independence. The most densely populated regions of the island are the Eastern Highlands and the Eastern Coast, contrasting most dramatically with the sparsely populated Western Plains. Agriculture has long influenced settlement on the island. Almost 60% of the nation's population live in rural areas.

In 2024, the population of Madagascar was estimated at 32 million, up from 2.2 million in 1900, and the annual population growth rate approximately 2.4%. As of 2024, approximately 39.3% of the population was younger than 15 years of age, 57.3% were between the ages of 15 and 64, and 3.4% were aged 65 and older.

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Culture

All the many ethnic subgroups in Madagascar adhere to their own set of beliefs, practices, and ways of life that have historically contributed to their unique identities. However, a number of core cultural features are common throughout the island, creating a strongly unified Malagasy cultural identity.

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