Madagascar

Republic o Madagascar Repoblikan'i Madagasikara  (Malagasy) République de Madagascar  (French)
Banner Seal
Motto:  "Fitiavana, Tanindrazana, Fandrosoana" (Malagasy) "Amour, Patrie, Progrès" (French) "Luve, Laund o Oor Auncestors, Progress"
Anthem: Ry Tanindrazanay malala ô! Oh, Beluved Laund o oor Auncestors!
Location o  Madagascar  (daurk blue) – in Africae  (licht blue & daurk gray) – in the African Union  (licht blue)
Caipital and largest city	Antananarivo 18°55′S 47°31′E
Offeecial leids	Malagasy French
Ethnic groups (2004)	26% Merina 15% Betsimisaraka 12% Betsileo 7% Tsimihety 6% Sakalava 5% Antaisaka 5% Antandroy 24% ithers
Demonym(s)	Malagasy, Madagascan
Govrenment	Unitar semi-presidential constitutional republic
• Preses	Andry Rajoelina
• Prime Meenister	Christian Ntsay
Legislatur	Pairlament
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Naitional Assembly
Unthirldom
• frae Fraunce	26 Juin 1960
• Current constitution	17 November 2010
Aurie
• Total	587,041 km2 (226,658 sq mi) (47t)
• Water	5,501 km2 (2,124 sq mi)
• Water (%)	0.9%
Population
• 2016 estimate	24,430,325 (52nt)
• 1993 census	12,238,914
• Density	35.2/km2 (91.2/sq mi) (174t)
GDP (PPP)	2017 estimate
• Total	$40.055 billion
• Per capita	$1,563
GDP (nominal)	2017 estimate
• Tot	$10.372 billion
• Per capita	$405
Gini (2010)	44.1 medium
HDI (2015)	0.512 law · 158th
Currency	Malagasy ariary (MGA)
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (not observed)
Drivin side	richt
Cawin code	+261
ISO 3166 code	MG
Internet TLD	.mg

The Republic o Madagascar (aulder name Malagasy Republic, French: République malgache, Malagasy: Repoblikan'i Madagasikara [republiˈkʲan madaɡasʲˈkʲarə̥]) is an island naition in the Indian Ocean aff the sootheastren coast o Africae. The main island, an aa cawed Madagascar, is the fowert-lairgest island in the warld.

Most archaeologists believe Madagascar wis first inhabitit sometime atween 300 BC an 500 AD bi Austronesian peoples arrivin on outrigger canoes frae Borneo an Sulawesi in the Indonesian archipelago. Suin afterward, Bantu migrants crossed the Mozambique Channel, an the population o the island began tae mix. Later Arab an East Africann migrants war added tae the mix. Madagascar wis ruled bi the local Merina kingdom in the 19t century an wis pairt o the French colonial empire frae 1890 tae 1960, when the current Republic o Madagascar became independent.

Malagasy, the local leid spoken bi the majority o the population, is an Austronesian leid an ane o the offeecial leids. The ither offeecial leid is French (offeecial syne unthirldom).

The primary releegions are Malagasy meethology an Christianity, but adherents tae ither faiths, Islam in parteecular, are foond throughoot the kintra.

Madagascar is hame tae as mony as 12,000 o the warld's plant species. Approximately 80% o aw plant an animal species foond in Madagascar are endemic, includin the lemur infraorder o primates, the carnivorous fossa, three bird families an three o the island's sax baobab species.