Madagascar

Lore & Background

Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from Africa during the Early Jurassic period, around 180 million years ago, and from the Indian subcontinent approximately 90 million years ago. This isolation allowed native plants and animals to evolve in relative seclusion. As a result, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot and one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries, with over 90% of its wildlife being endemic. The island has a subtropical to tropical maritime climate. Madagascar was first permanently settled during or before the mid-first millennium CE (roughly 500 to 700) by Austronesian peoples, presumably arriving on outrigger canoes from present-day Indonesia. These were joined around the ninth century by Bantu groups crossing the Mozambique Channel from East Africa. Other groups continued to settle on Madagascar over time, each one making lasting contributions to Malagasy cultural life. Consequently, there are 18 or more classified peoples of Madagascar, the most numerous being the Merina of the central highlands. Until the late 18th century, the island of Madagascar was ruled by a fragmented assortment of shifting sociopolitical alliances. Beginning in the early 19th century, most of it was united and ruled as the Kingdom of Madagascar by a series of Merina nobles. The monarchy was ended in 1897 by France's annexation of Madagascar, from which the country gained independence in 1960. It has since undergone four major constitutional periods, termed republics, and has been governed as a constitutional democracy since 1992. Following a political crisis and military coup in 2009, Madagascar underwent a protracted transition towards its fourth and current republic, with constitutional governance being restored in January 2014. In 2025, a series of mass protests resulted in a military coup and the installation of Michael Randrianirina as president of a military junta. Madagascar is a member of the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. Malagasy and French are both official languages of the state. Christianity is the country's predominant religion, with a significant minority still practicing traditional faiths. Madagascar is classified as a least-developed country by the UN. Ecotourism and agriculture, paire

In Their Own Story

The sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of violet and burnt orange along the Menabe River. Silhouetted against the fading light stand the ancient baobabs, their swollen trunks like inverted trees reaching for the earth. A traveler pauses on the dusty path, listening to the distant call of a fossa echoing through the dry forest, feeling the profound silence that only this island can hold.

Reader's Guide

The origin of the name Madagascar is uncertain, and is likely foreign, having been propagated in the Middle Ages by Europeans. One hypothesis relates it to the word Malay, referring to the Austronesian origin of the Malagasy people. Another hypothesis is that it is a corrupted transliteration of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The name Malagasikara, or Malagascar, is also historically attested.

Did You Know?

• Madagascar split from Africa around 180 million years ago and from the Indian subcontinent about 90 million years ago.
• Over 90% of Madagascar's wildlife is endemic.
• The island was first permanently settled between roughly 500 and 700 CE by Austronesian peoples from present-day Indonesia.
• The monarchy ended in 1897 with France's annexation, and independence was gained in 1960.
• In 2025, a military coup installed Michael Randrianirina as president of a military junta.