Madagascar Country Information Profile


Country Profile
OFFICIAL NAME:		Republic of Madagascar

GEOGRAPHIC PROFILE:		About 200 miles off the coast of Africa, across the Mozambique Channel in the south Indian Ocean. Astride the Tropic of Capricorn, between 12 (degrees) and 24 (degrees) latitude south and 43 (degrees) and 50 (degrees) longitude east, Madagascar covers 228,880 square miles.

CLIMATE:		Varies from north to south, east to west and from coastal regions to highland; but, to simplify: tropical with two seasons, dry from April to December and rainy from January to March. Average temperature is 70 (degrees) F in the highlands and 85 (degrees) F on the coast.

CAPITAL CITY:		Antananarivo, aka Tananarive or "Tana." TNR Airport, Ivato, is 17 miles from the city. Population: 1,500,000

POPULATION:		Seventeen million. The vast majority is an attractive blend of Malay, Polynesian and African ancestry, with two small minorities of Indian or French origin.

LANGUAGE:		Malagasy and French

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:		Valid passport and visa.

CURRENCY:		Malagasy Ariary: U.S. $1 = 1,750 MGA (January 2008)

ELECTRICITY:		220 volts, European plugs for small appliances.

The Honorary Consulate of Madagascar
Solana Beach, CA 92075
e-mail: infomadagascar-consulate.org