Begin Your Journey to Madagascar
Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, located in the Indian Ocean
off the southern coast of Africa. Comprised of a tropical coastal region,
a temperate mountainous inland region, and an arid southern tip, different
points on the island evoke images ranging from the expansive, bright green
rice paddies of Asia to the pristine beaches of Cuba. With a climate and geography
as diverse as its people, for many, Madagascar embodies the word exotic.
The country's richly varied population is the result of a unique history of
settlement and immigration. Africans and Indonesians first inhabited Madagascar
about 2,000 years ago, with European exploration beginning in the 1500s. France
gained full colonial rule in 1883 and remained in power until 1958, when the
country peacefully gained its independence. Today, Malay-Polynesians, Arabs,
Indians, Portuguese and French add to the ethnic mix of the people. French
and Malagasy are Madagascar's official languages.
The mainstay of Madagascar's economy is agriculture, with an emphasis on
vanilla, rice, sugarcane, cloves and fishing. Despite the richness of the
land, the country is plagued by poverty, and nearly three-quarters of the
population live on US $1 per day or less. Poor health and chronic malnutrition
are commonplace. Funding for education is generally scarce, and only about
35% of the country's nearly 15 million inhabitants have access to any health
services.
Compounding Madagascar's social plights are its environmental problems. Madagascar
features some of the world's most unique flora and fauna. The island is home
to 90% of all known lemur species, half of the world's chameleons and more
than 3,000 species of butterfly. At the same time, deforestation has wiped
out nearly 85% of the island's original forests, leading to massive soil erosion.
The water is contaminated by sewage and much of Madagascar's precious wildlife
is in danger of extinction.
Madagascar 
