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

Geographic coordinates:
20 00 S, 47 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 587,041 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 581,540 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 5,501 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 47

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Arizona

Land boundaries:
0 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
4,828 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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:
mean elevation:
[see also: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m

Natural resources:
graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, rare earth elements, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower

Land use:
agricultural land: 71.1% arable land 6%; permanent crops 1%; permanent pasture 64.1%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 21.5%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 7.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
10,860 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
337 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 16.5 cu km/yr (2%/1%/97%)
per capita: 1,010 cu m/yr (2005)

Natural hazards:
periodic cyclones; drought; and locust infestation
volcanism: Madagascar's volcanoes have not erupted in historical times

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