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World > Africa >
Madagascar > Geography (Facts)
Madagascar - Geography (Facts) |
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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 deep 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) |
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 |
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