Madagascar Geography Profile 2008

Location

Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique

Geographic coordinates

20 00 S, 47 00 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 587,040 sq km
land: 581,540 sq km
water: 5,500 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

4,828 km

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

Climate

tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south

Terrain

narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m

Natural resources

graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

Land use

arable land: 5.03%
permanent crops: 1.02%
other: 93.95% (2005)

Irrigated land

10,860 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

337 cu km (1984)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 14.96 cu km/yr (3%/2%/96%)
per capita: 804 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation

Environment - current issues

soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel