Page last updated on February 5, 2013

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 ]
country comparison to the world: 47
land: 581,540 sq km
water: 5,501 sq km

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
More Climate Details

Terrain:
narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
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:
arable land: 5.03%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 1.02%
other: 93.95% (2005)

Irrigated land:
10,860 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
337 cu km (1984)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 14.96 cu km/yr (3%/2%/96%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 804 cu m/yr (2000)

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