Vintage Madagascar Maps

Old Maps of Madagascar
Delve into our collection of Old Maps of Madagascar.

Madagascar is an island country located 400 kilometers (200 miles) off of the coast of East Africa. The country is made up of the main island Madagascar and several other smaller island countries. Spanning an area of 592,800 square kilometers (or 228,900 square miles), Madagascar is the second largest country that primarily consists of islands, the first place title belonging to Indonesia. The country is a part of some of the least developed countries in the world, mainly due to several economic crises. To this day, the quality of life for the Malagasy population remains relatively low.

Geographically, Madagascar can be split into three longitudinal zones, and they are as follows: the central plateau, the coastal strip in the east, and the zone of low plateaus and plains in the west. The central plateau is home to the country’s highest point, which is Maromokotro, standing at 2,876 meters high, or 9,436 feet. When it comes to the climate of the country, both southeastern trade winds and monsoons come together to produce a hot and rainy season that runs from November through April. There is a relatively cooler and dryer season from May to October. Tropical cyclones are very common, and have been responsible for several amounts of damage to infrastructure and economies, as well as loss of life. Cyclone Gafilo has the record for the strongest cyclone to hit Madagascar in 2004, causing 172 deaths, more than US$250 million left in damage, as well as leaving 214,260 homeless.Madagascar is a country home to several endemic species. In fact, 90% of all species found on the island country are endemic, and the country has been classified as one of the seventeen megadiverse countries in the world. There have been over 300 species of bird reported on the island, and the island is home to two-thirds of the world’s chameleon species. Some of the endemic fish of Madagascar include two families, 15 genera, and over 100 different species. Madagascar has faced several environmental issues. Since the arrival of humans on the island around 2,350 years ago, Madagascar has lost around 90% of its original forest. Invasive species have also been introduced on the island, and 90% of all lemur species on the island are currently endangered species.

Madagascar is still currently a developing country. 92% of the population is affected by poverty, and the country ranks fourth in the world in terms of chronic malnutrition. The country is one of the top five in the world where it is the hardest to find water, as twelve million people do not have access to clean water. The economy is primarily made up of agricultural and mineral products, and these also make up the most popular exports of the country. In fact, Madagascar is the world’s largest supplier of vanilla, cloves, and ylang-ylang. Along with this, the country is home to one of the world’s largest reserves of limenite, and is home to several other natural resources such as chromite, coal, iron, cobalt, copper, and nickel.