Show the largest island in Africa. Africa's largest island

Madagascar - an island of diversity of life and landscape

Most big island in Africa it is Madagascar, it is located separately from the continent and is separated from it by the Mozambique Strait. Madagascar is considered the fourth largest island on our planet. The Kingdom of Madagascar became a French colony in 1896, but regained full independence in 1960. The country is divided into six small provinces: Toliara, Antzeranana, Fianarantsoa, ​​Toamasina, Mahajanga, and Antananarivo.

Madagascar is considered a real paradise for connoisseurs of true exotics: a huge ocean, deserts, mountains, lakes, waterfalls, impenetrable jungles and woodlands with baobabs and palm trees. But the most important thing that makes Madagascar especially elegant is the uniqueness of its fauna, which is not found anywhere else. There are no large mammals in Madagascar, except for domestic animals once brought by Europeans, but different species of small insectivores and lemurs live here.

150,000 unique species of animals and plants

Madagascar has an abundance of reptiles, including, famous for their size, crocodiles, chameleons and lizards. Of the more than 200,000 species of animals and plants, more than 150,000 are found nowhere else in the world (this is 5% of the total species abundance of the Earth's flora and fauna).

That is why there are so many nature reserves and national parks in Madagascar: Berenti, Marudzedzi, Bemaraha, Mount Ambre, Tsimanampetsutsa, Betampuni, Andasibe, Ankarafantsika, Lukube, Tsaratanana.

3 climate zones

Madagascar is located in 3 climatic zones: east coast climate - tropical monsoon, temperate maritime; in the central region, where there are highlands and deserts, the climate is arid. As a rule, the annual precipitation rate is: 140 cm for the central highlands (in this case, for the capital of the country), 350 cm for the entire southern coast, 32 cm in the south of the island.

The area of ​​the state of Madagascar is 587 thousand square meters. km. Population - 19.5 million people (data for 2010). The island's population is growing very quickly - the annual increase is approximately 3% (13th place in the world for this indicator). The capital of Madagascar is the city of Antananarivo. The form of government is a parliamentary republic.

Amorphophallus titanica|lat. Amorphophallus titanum
(“Plates”)

Kingdom - Plants;
Department - Angiosperms;
Class - Monocots;
Order - Partichumous;
Family - Araceae;
Genus - Amorphophallus;
Species - Amorphophallus titanica.

The largest flower in the world is called Amorphophallus titanum.
This giant flower comes from the forests of the island of Sumatra. Its dimensions are impressive - the height of the plant can be more than 2.5 meters, the length of the leaf is up to five meters.
The underground tuber is large in size and can reach fifty kilograms.
The largest flower in the world was discovered in 1878, it has several names - devil's tongue, corpse flower, Voodoo lily, snake palm, umbrella palm, leopard palm and others.
In the plant's homeland, Indonesia and Sumatra, it is called "Bunga bangkai", which literally means "corpse flower".
This amazing plant lives up to forty years, while it blooms only three to four times.
Flowering lasts up to two weeks, while the ear of the plant heats up to forty degrees. At the same time, the flower emits a strong “aroma” of rotten eggs and rotting fish, thereby attracting insects for pollination.
Initially, amorphophallus titanica grew only in forests Indonesian island Sumatra, but the people who came there practically destroyed it. Now this rare flower is bred mainly in greenhouse conditions in botanical gardens around the world.\

Socotra is a small archipelago of four islands in Indian Ocean. Because of its landscape the island is called a unique place There is no other place like it on earth. It is enough to look at the photographs to understand that the local nature is unique. We have already written in our issues about many unusual places, but Sokotora goes far beyond the usual concepts of what an unusual place is. So, we continue our series of articles about interesting places planet Earth. We have already talked about the most mysterious places on Earth, now let's visit the most unusual places. The island of Socotra is unusual primarily for its landscape; it can be mistaken for a set for a film about some extraterrestrial civilization, but believe me, such beauty actually exists. On top of that, it is also one of the most isolated places on the planet. Because of this location, a third of Socotra's plants are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Imagine for a few seconds that a miracle happened and you suddenly woke up on this island. The first thing that comes to your mind is that you have gone crazy, or ended up on another planet, or plunged into a completely different era of Earth’s history. The latter option is most plausible in the case of Socotra, which has been geographically isolated from Africa for 6 million years. The island abounds in extremely rare species of flora and fauna, of which there are about seven hundred. Despite the harsh, hot and dry climate, amazing plant life thrives here. Socotra Island is located 250 kilometers from Somalia and 340 from Yemen. Wide sandy beaches smoothly transition to limestone plateaus with many caves and mountains up to 1525 meters high. The name Socotra is translated from Sanskrit as the Island of Happiness. And we can quite agree with this - crazy botanical charm coexists here with silence, isolation and huge quiet beaches. Let's move on to the description of some of the unique plants and animals of the island, which are protected here by natural isolation, and therefore some of them have been preserved in the same form as 20 million years ago. Let's start with dracena cinnibaris - a tree called Dragon's Blood, a source of valuable resin for varnishes, paints, and medicine. Dragon's blood resin was also used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy. The branches of these trees expand towards the sky, and from below they resemble many flying saucers... From above, they look like huge mushrooms: On Socotra there is also the Desert Rose (adenium obesium) - a plant similar to a flowering elephant's foot: Dorstenia Giga - does not require any soil at all and sinks its roots directly into bare rock: Also among interesting plants Socotra is a strange and extremely rare Cucumber Tree (dendrosicyos socotranum). Despite the island's population of approximately 40,000 inhabitants, the Yemeni government only built the first roads here 2 years ago - after negotiations with UNESCO, which declared Socotra a world heritage site. It is a quiet and peaceful enclave amidst a hectic world. If you decide

Socotra is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. Because of its landscape, the island is called the most unique place on earth; there is no other place like it. It is enough to look at the photographs to understand that the local nature is unique. We have already written in our issues about many unusual places, but Sokotora goes far beyond the usual concepts of what an unusual place is. So, we continue our series of articles about interesting places on planet Earth. We have already talked about the most mysterious places on Earth, now we will visit the most unusual places. The island of Socotra is unusual primarily for its landscape; it can be mistaken for a set for a film about some extraterrestrial civilization, but believe me, such beauty actually exists. On top of that, it is also one of the most isolated places on the planet. Because of this location, a third of Socotra's plants are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Imagine for a few seconds that a miracle happened and you suddenly woke up on this island. The first thing that comes to your mind is that you have gone crazy, or ended up on another planet, or plunged into a completely different era of Earth’s history. The latter option is most plausible in the case of Socotra, which has been geographically isolated from Africa for 6 million years. The island abounds in extremely rare species of flora and fauna, of which there are about seven hundred. Despite the harsh, hot and dry climate, amazing plant life thrives here. Socotra Island is located 250 kilometers from Somalia and 340 from Yemen. Wide sandy beaches smoothly transition to limestone plateaus with many caves and mountains up to 1525 meters high. The name Socotra is translated from Sanskrit as the Island of Happiness. And we can quite agree with this - crazy botanical charm coexists here with silence, isolation and huge quiet beaches. Let's move on to the description of some of the unique plants and animals of the island, which are protected here by natural isolation, and therefore some of them have been preserved in the same form as 20 million years ago. Let's start with dracena cinnibaris - a tree called Dragon's Blood, a source of valuable resin for varnishes, paints, and medicine. Dragon's blood resin was also used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy. The branches of these trees expand towards the sky, and from below they resemble many flying saucers... From above, they look like huge mushrooms: On Socotra there is also the Desert Rose (adenium obesium) - a plant similar to a flowering one elephant's foot: Dorstenia Giga - does not require any soil at all and sinks its roots directly into the bare rock: Also among the interesting plants of Socotra is the strange and extremely rare Cucumber Tree (dendrosicyos socotranum). Although the island has a population of approximately 40,000, the Yemeni government only built its first roads two years ago after negotiations with UNESCO, which declared Socotra a world heritage site. It is a quiet and peaceful enclave amidst a hectic world. If you decide

Socotra is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. Because of its landscape, the island is called the most unique place on earth; there is no other place like it. It is enough to look at the photographs to understand that the local nature is unique. We have already written in our issues about many unusual places, but Sokotora goes far beyond the usual concepts of what an unusual place is. So, we continue our series of articles about interesting places on planet Earth. We have already talked about the most mysterious places on Earth, now we will visit the most unusual places. The island of Socotra is unusual primarily for its landscape; it can be mistaken for a set for a film about some extraterrestrial civilization, but believe me, such beauty actually exists. On top of that, it is also one of the most isolated places on the planet. Because of this location, a third of Socotra's plants are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Imagine for a few seconds that a miracle happened and you suddenly woke up on this island. The first thing that comes to your mind is that you have gone crazy, or ended up on another planet, or plunged into a completely different era of Earth’s history. The latter option is most plausible in the case of Socotra, which has been geographically isolated from Africa for 6 million years. The island abounds in extremely rare species of flora and fauna, of which there are about seven hundred. Despite the harsh, hot and dry climate, amazing plant life thrives here. Socotra Island is located 250 kilometers from Somalia and 340 from Yemen. Wide sandy beaches smoothly transition to limestone plateaus with many caves and mountains up to 1525 meters high. The name Socotra is translated from Sanskrit as the Island of Happiness. And we can quite agree with this - crazy botanical charm coexists here with silence, isolation and huge quiet beaches. Let's move on to the description of some of the unique plants and animals of the island, which are protected here by natural isolation, and therefore some of them have been preserved in the same form as 20 million years ago. Let's start with dracena cinnibaris - a tree called Dragon's Blood, a source of valuable resin for varnishes, paints, and medicine. Dragon's blood resin was also used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy. The branches of these trees expand towards the sky, and from below they resemble many flying saucers... From above, they look like huge mushrooms: On Socotra there is also the Desert Rose (adenium obesium) - a plant similar to a flowering one elephant's foot: Dorstenia Giga - does not require any soil at all and sinks its roots directly into the bare rock: Also among the interesting plants of Socotra is the strange and extremely rare Cucumber Tree (dendrosicyos socotranum). Although the island has a population of approximately 40,000, the Yemeni government only built its first roads two years ago after negotiations with UNESCO, which declared Socotra a world heritage site. It is a quiet and peaceful enclave amidst a hectic world. If you decide

Socotra is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. Because of its landscape, the island is called the most unique place on earth; there is no other place like it. It is enough to look at the photographs to understand that the local nature is unique. We have already written in our issues about many unusual places, but Sokotora goes far beyond the usual concepts of what an unusual place is. So, we continue our series of articles about interesting places on planet Earth. We have already talked about the most mysterious places on Earth, now we will visit the most unusual places. The island of Socotra is unusual primarily for its landscape; it can be mistaken for a set for a film about some extraterrestrial civilization, but believe me, such beauty actually exists. On top of that, it is also one of the most isolated places on the planet. Because of this location, a third of Socotra's plants are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Imagine for a few seconds that a miracle happened and you suddenly woke up on this island. The first thing that comes to your mind is that you have gone crazy, or ended up on another planet, or plunged into a completely different era of Earth’s history. The latter option is most plausible in the case of Socotra, which has been geographically isolated from Africa for 6 million years. The island abounds in extremely rare species of flora and fauna, of which there are about seven hundred. Despite the harsh, hot and dry climate, amazing plant life thrives here. Socotra Island is located 250 kilometers from Somalia and 340 from Yemen. Wide sandy beaches smoothly transition to limestone plateaus with many caves and mountains up to 1525 meters high. The name Socotra is translated from Sanskrit as the Island of Happiness. And we can quite agree with this - crazy botanical charm coexists here with silence, isolation and huge quiet beaches. Let's move on to the description of some of the unique plants and animals of the island, which are protected here by natural isolation, and therefore some of them have been preserved in the same form as 20 million years ago. Let's start with dracena cinnibaris - a tree called Dragon's Blood, a source of valuable resin for varnishes, paints, and medicine. Dragon's blood resin was also used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy. The branches of these trees expand towards the sky, and from below they resemble many flying saucers... From above, they look like huge mushrooms: On Socotra there is also the Desert Rose (adenium obesium) - a plant similar to a flowering one elephant's foot: Dorstenia Giga - does not require any soil at all and sinks its roots directly into the bare rock: Also among the interesting plants of Socotra is the strange and extremely rare Cucumber Tree (dendrosicyos socotranum). Although the island has a population of approximately 40,000, the Yemeni government only built its first roads two years ago after negotiations with UNESCO, which declared Socotra a world heritage site. It is a quiet and peaceful enclave amidst a hectic world. If you decide

Socotra is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. Because of its landscape, the island is called the most unique place on earth; there is no other place like it. It is enough to look at the photographs to understand that the local nature is unique. We have already written in our issues about many unusual places, but Sokotora goes far beyond the usual concepts of what an unusual place is. So, we continue our series of articles about interesting places on planet Earth. We have already talked about the most mysterious places on Earth, now we will visit the most unusual places. The island of Socotra is unusual primarily for its landscape; it can be mistaken for a set for a film about some extraterrestrial civilization, but believe me, such beauty actually exists. On top of that, it is also one of the most isolated places on the planet. Because of this location, a third of Socotra's plants are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Imagine for a few seconds that a miracle happened and you suddenly woke up on this island. The first thing that comes to your mind is that you have gone crazy, or ended up on another planet, or plunged into a completely different era of Earth’s history. The latter option is most plausible in the case of Socotra, which has been geographically isolated from Africa for 6 million years. The island abounds in extremely rare species of flora and fauna, of which there are about seven hundred. Despite the harsh, hot and dry climate, amazing plant life thrives here. Socotra Island is located 250 kilometers from Somalia and 340 from Yemen. Wide sandy beaches smoothly transition to limestone plateaus with many caves and mountains up to 1525 meters high. The name Socotra is translated from Sanskrit as the Island of Happiness. And we can quite agree with this - crazy botanical charm coexists here with silence, isolation and huge quiet beaches. Let's move on to the description of some of the unique plants and animals of the island, which are protected here by natural isolation, and therefore some of them have been preserved in the same form as 20 million years ago. Let's start with dracena cinnibaris - a tree called Dragon's Blood, a source of valuable resin for varnishes, paints, and medicine. Dragon's blood resin was also used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy. The branches of these trees expand towards the sky, and from below they resemble many flying saucers... From above, they look like huge mushrooms: On Socotra there is also the Desert Rose (adenium obesium) - a plant similar to a flowering one elephant's foot: Dorstenia Giga - does not require any soil at all and sinks its roots directly into the bare rock: Also among the interesting plants of Socotra is the strange and extremely rare Cucumber Tree (dendrosicyos socotranum). Although the island has a population of approximately 40,000, the Yemeni government only built its first roads two years ago after negotiations with UNESCO, which declared Socotra a world heritage site. It is a quiet and peaceful enclave amidst a hectic world. If you decide

Socotra is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. Because of its landscape, the island is called the most unique place on earth; there is no other place like it. It is enough to look at the photographs to understand that the local nature is unique. We have already written in our issues about many unusual places, but Sokotora goes far beyond the usual concepts of what an unusual place is. So, we continue our series of articles about interesting places on planet Earth. We have already talked about the most mysterious places on Earth, now we will visit the most unusual places. The island of Socotra is unusual primarily for its landscape; it can be mistaken for a set for a film about some extraterrestrial civilization, but believe me, such beauty actually exists. On top of that, it is also one of the most isolated places on the planet. Because of this location, a third of Socotra's plants are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Imagine for a few seconds that a miracle happened and you suddenly woke up on this island. The first thing that comes to your mind is that you have gone crazy, or ended up on another planet, or plunged into a completely different era of Earth’s history. The latter option is most plausible in the case of Socotra, which has been geographically isolated from Africa for 6 million years. The island abounds in extremely rare species of flora and fauna, of which there are about seven hundred. Despite the harsh, hot and dry climate, amazing plant life thrives here. Socotra Island is located 250 kilometers from Somalia and 340 from Yemen. Wide sandy beaches smoothly transition to limestone plateaus with many caves and mountains up to 1525 meters high. The name Socotra is translated from Sanskrit as the Island of Happiness. And we can quite agree with this - crazy botanical charm coexists here with silence, isolation and huge quiet beaches. Let's move on to the description of some of the unique plants and animals of the island, which are protected here by natural isolation, and therefore some of them have been preserved in the same form as 20 million years ago. Let's start with dracena cinnibaris - a tree called Dragon's Blood, a source of valuable resin for varnishes, paints, and medicine. Dragon's blood resin was also used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy. The branches of these trees expand towards the sky, and from below they resemble many flying saucers... From above, they look like huge mushrooms: On Socotra there is also the Desert Rose (adenium obesium) - a plant similar to a flowering one elephant's foot: Dorstenia Giga - does not require any soil at all and sinks its roots directly into the bare rock: Also among the interesting plants of Socotra is the strange and extremely rare Cucumber Tree (dendrosicyos socotranum). Although the island has a population of approximately 40,000, the Yemeni government only built its first roads two years ago after negotiations with UNESCO, which declared Socotra a world heritage site. It is a quiet and peaceful enclave amidst a hectic world. If you decide

Socotra is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. Because of its landscape, the island is called the most unique place on earth; there is no other place like it. It is enough to look at the photographs to understand that the local nature is unique. We have already written in our issues about many unusual places, but Sokotora goes far beyond the usual concepts of what an unusual place is. So, we continue our series of articles about interesting places on planet Earth. We have already talked about the most mysterious places on Earth, now we will visit the most unusual places. The island of Socotra is unusual primarily for its landscape; it can be mistaken for a set for a film about some extraterrestrial civilization, but believe me, such beauty actually exists. On top of that, it is also one of the most isolated places on the planet. Because of this location, a third of Socotra's plants are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. Imagine for a few seconds that a miracle happened and you suddenly woke up on this island. The first thing that comes to your mind is that you have gone crazy, or ended up on another planet, or plunged into a completely different era of Earth’s history. The latter option is most plausible in the case of Socotra, which has been geographically isolated from Africa for 6 million years. The island abounds in extremely rare species of flora and fauna, of which there are about seven hundred. Despite the harsh, hot and dry climate, amazing plant life thrives here. Socotra Island is located 250 kilometers from Somalia and 340 from Yemen. Wide sandy beaches smoothly transition to limestone plateaus with many caves and mountains up to 1525 meters high. The name Socotra is translated from Sanskrit as the Island of Happiness. And we can quite agree with this - crazy botanical charm coexists here with silence, isolation and huge quiet beaches. Let's move on to the description of some of the unique plants and animals of the island, which are protected here by natural isolation, and therefore some of them have been preserved in the same form as 20 million years ago. Let's start with dracena cinnibaris - a tree called Dragon's Blood, a source of valuable resin for varnishes, paints, and medicine. Dragon's blood resin was also used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy. The branches of these trees expand towards the sky, and from below they resemble many flying saucers... From above, they look like huge mushrooms: On Socotra there is also the Desert Rose (adenium obesium) - a plant similar to a flowering one elephant's foot: Dorstenia Giga - does not require any soil at all and sinks its roots directly into the bare rock: Also among the interesting plants of Socotra is the strange and extremely rare Cucumber Tree (dendrosicyos socotranum). Although the island has a population of approximately 40,000, the Yemeni government only built its first roads two years ago after negotiations with UNESCO, which declared Socotra a world heritage site. It is a quiet and peaceful enclave amidst a hectic world. If you decide

Ambergris Cay (Belize) is the largest island in area of ​​the almost two hundred islands of Belize and a major attraction for many travelers, especially scuba diving enthusiasts. Cay means "island", and the name "Ambergris" comes from large pieces of ambergris (a waste product of migrating whales) that used to wash up on the local shore.

Tourist popularity came to the island relatively recently, so the nature here has preserved pristine beauty, practically untouched by civilization.

The coastline of the island is protected by the Barrier Reef, without which this small piece of land in the ocean could not exist. The Barrier Reef serves as a natural breakwater and, of course, the biggest attraction. The reef is located approximately two kilometers from the shore of the island. The amazingly clear water that separates the island from the reef provides countless opportunities for diving and snorkeling enthusiasts. Diving into the dazzling turquoise ocean waters is a fabulous journey among colorful coral canyons and underwater caves, observing the life of marine inhabitants.

Sao Tome
Sao Tome Island is the largest island in the district of Sao Tome and Principe. This island, ()

Sao Tome
Sao Tome Island is the largest island in the district of Sao Tome and Principe. This island local residents which speaks Portuguese, borders the Equator ( west coast Central Africa). There is not a large influx of tourists here, so travelers can enjoy a secluded holiday.

Madagascar is the largest island off the coast of Africa and in the entire Indian Ocean. Very often it is called a kind of miniature continent. This is because its flora and fauna are very different from those found on the African continent. Many of their representatives are found only here. Moreover, local landscapes are unique and are not repeated anywhere else on the planet. Several thousand years ago it was part of a huge continent known as Gondwana, which eventually split apart. As a result of this, Africa, Antarctica and Madagascar itself were formed. Now the largest island in Africa is separated from the main continent by the Mozambique Strait, whose width is about 300 kilometers.

The local landscape is diverse. Most of the territory is a plateau. In some areas it rises above sea level to a height of up to 2876 meters. Not far from the city of Antananarivo are the Ancaratro Mountains, maximum height which is equal to 2643 meters. Africa also boasts its fertile plains. They are located on the west and east coasts. All local rivers flow into the Mozambique Channel and flow from east to west. Although there are not many of them, they annually attract a huge number of tourists with the abundance of their waterfalls and picturesque landscapes.

The best time To visit the largest island in Africa, the period is considered to be from March to April. It is recommended to go to the central part from November to March. This is due to the specifics of the local climate. The fact is that there are wet and dry seasons. On east coast There are almost always showers, and strong trade winds lead to rain jets flying almost horizontally, so no awnings or umbrellas can protect you from them. The average winter temperature is 16 and summer - 34 degrees Celsius.

Democratic Republic Madagascar, which was formed as a result of a military coup in 1975, occupies not only this large island of Africa, but also several small ones located nearby. The area of ​​the country is just over 587 thousand km 2. The population of the state exceeds 14 million people. Most of them live in the most major cities, including the above-mentioned Antananarivo, as well as Tulear, Toamasina, Mahajanga, Fianarantsoa and others. There are two official languages ​​in the republic - French and Merina (one of the dialects of Malagasy). The country is led by the president, and the head of government is the prime minister.

The first European to visit the largest island in Africa on August 10, 1500 was the Portuguese Diego Diaz. In the new lands, travelers were engaged in robberies and murders, so as soon as they set off towards India, the local population breathed a sigh of relief. Much to his regret, six years later the next European expedition arrived on the island. Its representatives were not very different from their predecessors, so most of the adult inhabitants of Madagascar were destined to become slaves. At different times, the Portuguese, French and British tried to gain a foothold here. The island became self-governing in 1896. It was granted self-government in 1958 and declared independence in 1960.

Currently, Madagascar is a member of many world organizations, including the IMF, UN, WHO and others.

Madagascar is the largest island off the coast of Africa and in the entire Indian Ocean. Very often it is called a kind of miniature continent. This is because its flora and fauna are very different from those found on the African continent. Many of their representatives are found only here. Moreover, local landscapes are unique and are not repeated anywhere else on the planet. Several thousand years ago it was part of a huge continent known as Gondwana, which eventually split apart. As a result of this, Africa, Antarctica and Madagascar itself were formed. Now the largest island in Africa is separated from the main continent by the Mozambique Strait, whose width is about 300 kilometers.

The local landscape is diverse. Most of the territory is a plateau. In some areas it rises above sea level to a height of up to 2876 meters. Not far from the city of Antananarivo are the Ancaratro Mountains, whose maximum height is 2643 meters. Africa's largest island also boasts its fertile plains. They are located on the west and east coasts. All local rivers flow into and flow from east to west. Although there are not many of them, they annually attract a huge number of tourists with the abundance of their waterfalls and picturesque landscapes.

The best time to visit the largest island in Africa is considered to be from March to April. It is recommended to go to the central part from November to March. This is due to the specifics of the local climate. The fact is that there are wet and dry seasons. On the east coast there are almost always showers, and strong trade winds lead to rain jets flying almost horizontally, so no awnings or umbrellas can protect you from them. The average winter temperature is 16 and summer - 34 degrees Celsius.

Democratic, which was formed as a result of a military coup in 1975, occupies not only this large island of Africa, but also several small ones located nearby. The area of ​​the country is just over 587 thousand km 2. The population of the state exceeds 14 million people. Most of them live in the largest cities, including the above-mentioned Antananarivo, as well as Tulear, Toamasina, Mahajanga, Fianarantsoa and others. There are two official languages ​​in the republic - French and Merina (one of the dialects of Malagasy). The country is led by the president, and the head of government is the prime minister.

The first European to visit the largest on August 10, 1500 was the Portuguese Diego Diaz. In the new lands, travelers were engaged in robberies and murders, so as soon as they set off towards India, the local population breathed a sigh of relief. Much to his regret, six years later the next European expedition arrived on the island. Its representatives were not very different from their predecessors, so most of the adult inhabitants of Madagascar were destined to become slaves. At different times, the Portuguese, French and British tried to gain a foothold here. The island became self-governing in 1896. It was granted self-government in 1958 and declared independence in 1960.

Currently, Madagascar is a member of many world organizations, including the IMF, UN, WHO and others.