Interesting Madagascar Facts
Madagascar is an island country located in Eastern Africa where it is bordered by the Indian Ocean. It covers 587,041 km2 of land. The total population of Madagascar is somewhere in the region of 25,570,895.
Learn interesting Madagascar facts and information about this African country with our fact file for kids. Uncover important facts about the location, currency, flag, continent, language, population, size, climate, people, geography, landscape, landmarks and culture of Madagascar.
Discover Africa with our interesting Madagascar facts for kids based on questions such as: What continent is Madagascar in? What is the main language of Madagascar? What famous landmarks are there in Madagascar? What is Madagascar famous for? How big is Madagascar?
Madagascar Fact File: Continent: Africa * Country Name(s): Madagascar, Republic of Madagascar * Location: Eastern Africa * Bordering: the Indian Ocean * Capital City: Antananarivo * Size: 587,041 km2 * Estimated Population: over 25,570,895 * Currency: Malagasy ariary (MGA) * Language(s): French and Malagasy * Country Code: +261
Interesting Madagascar Facts for Kids
Interesting Facts for Kids 1: Size & location facts
Madagascar is located on the continent of Africa, it is classed as an island country and is positioned in the Indian Ocean in Eastern Africa. There are seven continents in the world: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Antarctica, Australia (Oceania). Africa is the world's second largest continent, occupying a total area of 30,370,000 km2. Africa has 54 countries, and forms 20.4% of the world's landmass. Madagascar is an island country that spreads over a total area of approximately 587,041 km2. It is of average size when compared to other countries belonging to the continent of Africa. The island country of Madagascar is slightly larger by area than Botswana.
Interesting Facts for Kids 2: Population facts
The population of this African country is more than 25,570,895 people. The majority of Madagascar's inhabitants reside in Antananarivo which is the country's most populous city. Madagascar has a fairly high population when compared to most other countries across the world, its overall population density is approximately 35 people per sq km. The estimated population of Africa is approximately 1,186,178,000 inhabitants, making it the continent with the second largest population in the world. The continents in order of population, starting with highest population first, are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia (Oceania Region) and Antarctica. The total population of the entire world is in excess of 7.6 billion people.
Interesting Facts for Kids 3: Capital & major cities
The capital of Madagascar is Antananarivo. The names of other major cities located in this country are Toamasina, Antsirabe, Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga and Toliara.
Interesting Facts for Kids 4: Country borders
The following details provide a guide to Madagascar's approximate border lengths:
Coastline 4,828 km.
Interesting Facts for Kids 5: Climate and geography facts
The climate of Madagascar can be described as temperate inland, arid in the south and tropical along its coastline. The geography of Madagascar is formed by narrow coastal regions, areas of high elevation and central mountain regions. One interesting fact about Madagascar is that many of its animal and plant species are endemic due to the ocean current that isolate this island country. The lowest point of Madagascar is the Indian Ocean at 0m, and the highest point of elevation is Maromokotro at 2,876m.
Interesting Facts for Kids 6: Natural Resources of Madagascar
Natural resources are materials and substances that can be found occurring naturally on Earth. Natural resources are very important across the world, and can be exploited for economic gain. The level of natural resources present in an individual country depends on varying factors which are influenced by the geography, climate and location of that country. Some countries, such as Russia, The United States, Saudi Arabia and Canada, have many natural resources, where as some other countries have limited to none. Food, transport and construction are three of the primary uses of natural resources. For example, fish is a naturally occurring resource that can be caught for food consumption. Crude oils can be refined into different types of fuels in order to power vehicles/cars. Wood/timber from forests can be used to build homes and furniture. The natural resources found in Madagascar include graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower (water power).
Interesting Facts for Kids 7: Language facts
The official languages of Madagascar are French and Malagasy. Another language that is spoken in this country is English.
Interesting Facts for Kids 8: Religion facts
The primary religions of Madagascar include traditional indigenous religions, Muslim, Christian; majorly Roman Catholic and Protestant. There are no exact statistics available on what proportion of the population belong to individual religions, however, it is estimated that more than half of the population hold traditional beliefs and belong to indigenous religions.
Interesting Facts for Kids 9: Symbols of Madagascar
Every country has its own unique culture, history and identity. Flags, symbols, emblems, mottos, songs, anthems and colors are used by countries worldwide to represent national pride and identity. These national symbols are created through the unique history of a nation and can portray both hardship and prosperity, embodying freedom, strength and unity. Flags, emblems, colors, songs and mottos reflect the past, present and future aspirations of a country, and create an important image to the rest of the world. National symbols can represent a combination of things that are important to a country such as birds, animals, plants, geographical features, tools of agriculture, crops, and tools of war. The following facts depict some of the national symbols, songs and colors that are important to Madagascar:
National symbol(s): traveller's palm, zebu
National colors: red, green and white
National Anthem/Song: Ry Tanindraza nay malala o (Translation: Oh, Our Beloved Fatherland)
National Holiday(s): Independence Day, 26 June (1960)
National Motto(s): Fitiavana, Tanindrazana, Fandrosoana (Translation: Love, Ancestral-land, Progress)