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Context

• Madagascar, the world’s fourth-largest island and its second-largest island country, is known for its biodiversity.
• But the Indian Ocean state, located just off the coast of the African mainland, has experienced a heat wave at least two months early this year, something which is worrying locals.

About Madagascar

• After Indonesia, Madagascar is the second-largest island nation in the world.
• Furthermore, Madagascar is the world's fourth-largest island, trailing only Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo.
• Located in the Indian Ocean to the east of Tanzania and Mozambique, Madagascar is an island republic that is a part of Africa.
• The main island is situated around 250 miles (400 km) offshore from the coast of East Africa.
• Along the length of Madagascar’s coastline, which is around 3,100 miles long and 5,000 kilometres long, there are a number of smaller islands.
• In Malagasy, Madagascar is referred to as Madagasikara, or just Mada.
• The island of Madagascar is said to have been discovered for the first time by the explorer Marco Polo.
• The island was originally visited by European explorers in the fifteenth century.
• Madagascar is just somewhat smaller than Spain and Portugal all together, but its area is roughly four times larger than Georgia's in the United States.
• On the other hand, the island is among the least populated regions in the nation with only 27 million residents.
• Madagascar's capital city is called Antananarivo, although it's more commonly known as
• With about 3.6 million residents, Antananarivo holds the title of most populated city in the nation.
• Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, is perched on a hill 1,280 metres (4,199 ft) above sea level.
• The Queen's palace and the city's historic heart are situated atop Analamanga hill.
• There are twelve hills that surround the nation's capital.
• The “lower town” is where most of the business districts are located and is encircled by huge rice fields.
• The Imerina people's first ruler was Andrianjaka. He built the first rova on top of Analamanga hill. Rova translates to "royal fort."
• Several distinct Merina kings controlled the island of Madagascar from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.
• That being said, Ambohimanga, a small town west of Antananarivo, served as the original royal residence of the Kingdom of Imerina for a considerable period of time.
• Madagascar was a colony of France from the years 1897 until 1968, and it did not achieve full independence from France until the 26th of June in 1960.
• On this day each year, the Malagasy people celebrate their nation’s achievement of independence.
• The cities of Montreal in Canada, Suzhou in China, Nice in France, and Yerevan in Armenia are Antananarivo’s twin cities.

Landforms of Madagascar

• Located off the coast of East Africa in the centre of the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is the second-largest island nation in the world.
• Throughout the nation, there are three unique longitudinal physiographic zones that run parallel to one another.
• The western regions of the nation are made up of the east coast strip, the central plateau, and the low plateaus and plains.
• The eastern shore of Madagascar, which is distinguished by a narrow and steep escarpment, is home to the last remaining patches of tropical rainforest.
• Along the island’s western shore, wetlands of mangroves give way to deep bays in various locations.
• As one moves inward, the central highlands are characterised by rolling grassy hills that are devoid of forests and border rice-growing valleys.
• Maromokotro, which stands at 2,876 metres, is the island’s highest peak and is located in the Tsaratanana Massif region in the northwestern part of the island.
• The Mananara, Mangoro Sambirano, Mahajamba, Betsiboka, Mania, north and south Mahavavy, Mangoky, Onilahy, and the Ikopa are some of the most important rivers in Madagascar.
• The country also has a number of lakes, including Alaotra, Lake Kinkony, and Lake Ihotry.
• The Indian Ocean is the lowest point on the island of Madagascar, and it is 0 metres deep.

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