ISD CODE: +261
Time Zone: GMT +3
Area: 587 041 sq. kms. (226 598 sq. mi.)
Capital: Antananarivo
Main towns: Toamasina, Toliary, Antseranana
Population: 12.8 million
Languages: Malagasy (official), French, English
Currency: Madagascar franc:
General information: Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, located in the Indian Ocean, East of the African continent. A large central plateau drops in the east through rainforests to a coastal strip. On the West, the plateau gives way to coastal plains.
The climate is tropical, the coastal lowlands being hot and humid.
Madagascar has 5,000 miles of tropical beaches, with unique fauna and flora due to its isolation. There is potential for extensive tourist development, which is currently in an embryo stage.
