Madagascar - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Madagascar. World's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel; despite Madagascar’s close proximity to the African continent, ocean currents isolate the island resulting in high rates of endemic plant and animal species; approximately 90% of the flora and fauna on the island are found nowhere else. Mother's mean age at first birth is 19.5 years (2021 est.) (Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 392 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Madagascar
Location Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique
Geographic coordinates 20 00 S, 47 00 E
Map references Africa
Tarrain narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Natural Resources graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Natural Hazards

periodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation

volcanism: Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in historical times

Irrigated Land 10,860 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Major aquifers
Land Boundaries 0 km
Border Countries
Coastline 4,828 km
Climate tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Area
Total Area
Land Area 581,540 sq km
Water Area 5,501 sq km
comparative Area almost four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Arizona
Maritime Claims
Territorial sea 12 nm
Contiguous zone 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone 200 nm
Continental shelf 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m isobath
Elevations
Highest point Maromokotro 2,876 m
Lowest point Indian Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation 615 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 71.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 64.1% (2018 est.)
Forest 21.5% (2018 est.)
Other 7.4% (2018 est.)
Population Distribution

Most of population lives on the eastern half of the island; significant clustering is found in the central highlands and eastern coastline as shown in this population distribution map

People and Society

In Madagascar, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Malayo-Indonesian (Merina and related Betsileo), Cotiers (mixed African, Malayo-Indonesian, and Arab ancestry - Betsimisaraka, Tsimihety, Antaisaka, Sakalava), French, Indian, Creole, Comoran

Population
Pop growth rate 2.18% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 27.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure 3.9% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density 0.2 beds/1,000 population
Total fertility rate 3.47 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 1.71 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 49.7% (2020)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 60.1% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write
Education expenditures 3.1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Net Migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Malagasy | Malagasy (singular and plural)
Languages Malagasy (official) 99.9%, French (official) 23.6%, English 8.2%, other 0.6% (2018 est.)
Religions Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar/Malagasy Lutheran Church/Anglican Church 34%, Roman Catholic 32.3%, other Christian 8.1%, traditional/Animist 1.7%, Muslim 1.4%, other 0.6%, none 21.9% (2021 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 37% (male 5,507,847/female 5,400,551)
15-64 years 59.1% (male 8,720,012/female 8,673,880)
65 years and over 3.9% (2024 est.) (male 532,642/female 617,782)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 74.5
Youth dependency ratio 68.8
Elderly dependency ratio 5.8
Potential support ratio 17.4 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 21.3 years (2024 est.)
Male 21.1 years
Female 21.5 years
Urbanization
Urban population 40.6% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 4.26% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 3.872 million ANTANANARIVO (capital) (2023).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 37.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 40.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 34 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 68.8 years (2024 est.)
Male 67.3 years
Female 70.3 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 85% of population
Improved: rural rural: 38% of population
Improved: total total: 56.1% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 15% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 62% of population
Unimproved: total total: 43.9% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 49.2% of population
Improved: rural rural: 22.1% of population
Improved: total total: 32.6% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 50.8% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 77.9% of population
Unimproved: total total: 67.4% of population (2020 est.)
Major Infectious diseases
Degree of risk very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases malaria and dengue fever
Water contact diseases schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases rabies
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 0.89 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 0.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 0.07 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 0.32 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total 27.8% (2020 est.)
Male 42.7% (2020 est.)
Female 12.8% (2020 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15 12.7%
Women married by age 18 38.8%
Men married by age 18 11.2% (2021 est.)
Demographic profile

Madagascar’s youthful population – nearly 60% are under the age of 25 as of 2020 – and moderately high total fertility rate of more than 3.6 children per woman ensures that the Malagasy population will continue its rapid growth trajectory for the foreseeable future. The population is predominantly rural and poor; chronic malnutrition is prevalent, and large families are the norm. Many young Malagasy girls are withdrawn from school, marry early (often pressured to do so by their parents), and soon begin having children. Early childbearing, coupled with Madagascar’s widespread poverty and lack of access to skilled health care providers during delivery, increases the risk of death and serious health problems for young mothers and their babies.

Child marriage perpetuates gender inequality and is prevalent among the poor, the uneducated, and rural households – as of 2018, 40% of Malagasy women aged 20 to 24 were married. Although the legal age for marriage is 18, parental consent is often given for earlier marriages or the law is flouted, especially in rural areas that make up approximately 60% of the country. Forms of arranged marriage whereby young girls are married to older men in exchange for oxen or money are traditional. If a union does not work out, a girl can be placed in another marriage, but the dowry paid to her family diminishes with each unsuccessful marriage.

Madagascar’s population consists of 18 main ethnic groups, all of whom speak the same Malagasy language. Most Malagasy are multi-ethnic, however, reflecting the island’s diversity of settlers and historical contacts (see Background). Madagascar’s legacy of hierarchical societies practicing domestic slavery (most notably the Merina Kingdom of the 16th to the 19th century) is evident today in persistent class tension, with some ethnic groups maintaining a caste system. Slave descendants are vulnerable to unequal access to education and jobs, despite Madagascar’s constitutional guarantee of free compulsory primary education and its being party to several international conventions on human rights. Historical distinctions also remain between central highlanders and coastal people.

All Important Facts about Madagascar

Want to know more about Madagascar? Check all different factbooks for Madagascar below.

Madagascar is found in Eastern Africa