The Madagascar subhumid forests historically covered most of Madagascar's Central Highlands, above approximately 800 meters elevation on the east and above 600 meters elevation on the west.

* Madagascar Pochard is endemic to Madagascar, where it was found historically in the Lake Alaotra basin

The number of Comorians living abroad has been estimated at between 80, 000 and 100, 000 ; during the colonial period, most of them lived in Tanzania, Madagascar, and other parts of East Africa.

Madagascar has lost 90 % of its eastern rainforests.

The island has been a possession of France since 1897, but is also claimed by Madagascar.

Mauritania does not use a decimal division of units, setting 1 ouguiya ( UM ) = 5 khoums, and Madagascar has 1 ariary = 5 iraimbilanja.

The autonomous state of Madagascar has since undergone four major constitutional periods, termed Republics.

This distinctive ecology has led some ecologists to refer to Madagascar as the " eighth continent ", and the island has been classified by Conservation International as a biodiversity hotspot.

Since the arrival of humans around 2, 350 years ago, Madagascar has lost more than 90 percent of its original forest.

The small island of Nosy Boroha off the northeastern coast of Madagascar has been proposed by some historians as the site of the legendary pirate utopia of Libertalia.

Since regaining independence, Madagascar has transitioned through four republics with corresponding revisions to its constitution.

Madagascar has an embassy in Moscow.

Since the mid-1980s, the donor community, led by the World Bank and the USAID, has recognized that Madagascar is one of the world's most unusual natural wonders.

Research has demonstrated that tavy, a form of slash and burns agriculture, has been the largest contributor to environmental degradation in Madagascar.

The island has a small population of a few thousand inhabitants, mainly descended from Africans, Mixed race African and Europeans, British settlers, East India Company employees and indentured labourers from the South Asian sub-Continent, East Indies, Madagascar and China.

The UNCCD has 194 country Parties: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, the People's Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d ' Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Republic of Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Madagascar has an endemic genus, Astacoides, containing seven species.

Genetic analysis of African cattle has found higher concentrations of zebu genes all along the east coast of Africa, with especially pure cattle on the island of Madagascar, implying that the method of dispersal was cattle transported by ship.

Deep bays and well-protected harbors have attracted explorers, traders, and pirates from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East since ancient times ; thus, the area has served as an important bridge between Madagascar and the outside world.

Madagascar has been called the " Great Red Island " because of the prominence of red lateritic soils.

Madagascar has two seasons: a hot, rainy season from November to April ; and a cooler, dry season from May to October.

The island of Madagascar has been described as an " alternate world " or a " world apart " because of the uniqueness and rarity of many of its plant and animal species.

Madagascar was once covered almost completely by forests, but slash and burn practices for dry rice cultivation has denuded most of the landscape, especially in the central highlands.

Madagascar has a number of natural resources, including graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semi-precious stones and mica.

Though Gondwana was still intact in the beginning of the Cretaceous, it broke up as South America, Antarctica and Australia rifted away from Africa ( though India and Madagascar remained attached to each other ); thus, the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans were newly formed.

From 16 June 1940-1942 the colonial administration remained loyal to Vichy France ( from 1942, under Free French ), but 25 September 1942-13 October 1946 they were, like Madagascar, under British occupation.

The city remained the capital of Madagascar after regaining independence in 1960.

Iceland remained for a long time one of the world's last larger islands uninhabited by humans ( the others being New Zealand and Madagascar ).

First described in 1777 by English illustrator John Frederick Miller, M. murinus remained the only species of its genus, as well as the name used for all mouse lemurs on Madagascar, between the first major taxonomic revision in 1931 and an extensive field study conducted in 1972.

It is the only known breeding site outside Aldabra and Madagascar for Malagasy Pond Herons.

Thus, starting from 1817, the central Merina kingdoms, Betsileo, Bezanozano, and Sihanaka, unified by Radama I was known to the outside world as the Kingdom of Madagascar.

There is no indication that elephant birds evolved outside Madagascar, and today, the Canary Island eggshells are considered to belong to extinct North African birds that may or may not have been ratites ( Eremopezus / Psammornis ), or even Pelagornithidae, prehistoric seabirds of immense size.

This makes the Mongoose Lemur one of only two lemurs found outside of Madagascar, though it is believed to be an introduced species in the Comoros.

Partner institutions outside Europe come from the USA, Ghana, Madagascar, Taiwan and Australia.

Countries where ASL or a derivative of ASL is the national or a widespread language include Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana ( with BSL ), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, the Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d ' Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Kenya ( minority use ), Liberia, Madagascar ( minority use ), Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Philippines ( L2 use ), Puerto Rico, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Trinidad and Tobago, Togo, and Zimbabwe ( with ZSL ).

* Sierra Leone, Ghana, Togo, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Seychelles, Madagascar, Somalia

193-Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, People's Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d ' Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, North Korea, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Madagascar was admitted to the Southern African Development Community in 2004.

Mauritian investors are gradually entering African markets, notably Madagascar and Mozambique.

However, while this is exceptionally high compared with its neighbors in Mauritius, Madagascar and the African continent, it is only 57 % of the 30, 140 euros per capita GDP of metropolitan France in 2007.

Thus, most slaves came from Madagascar and Asia rather than the African mainland.

* African and Indonesian settlers reach Madagascar.

**** Crocodylus niloticus, Nile crocodile or African crocodile ( the subspecies found in Madagascar is sometimes called the black crocodile )

There are three noteworthy Chinatowns in Africa located in the coastal African nations of Madagascar, Mauritius, and South Africa.

Many of the characteristic African species, large mammals as the elephant, rhinoceros, giraffe, zebra, and antelope and predators such as lions and leopards, do not exist in Madagascar.

One can only assume that the island of Madagascar played an important role in trade, particularly that of spice trade ( especially the cinnamon ) and timber between Southeast Asia and Middle East, directly or through the African coast and Madagascar.

During this early period, Madagascar served as an important transoceanic trading port for the east African coast that gave Africa a trade route to the Silk Road and served simultaneously as a port for incoming ships.

In Europe, meanwhile, diplomats partitioning the African continent worked out an agreement whereby Britain, in order to obtain the Sultanate of Zanzibar, ceded its rights over Heligoland to Germany and renounced all claims to civilize Madagascar in favor of France.

Eight species are native to the African continent, while the Grey-headed Lovebird is native to Madagascar.

Parties: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d ' Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti *, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati *, Kuwait, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic *, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela ( Bolivarian Republic of ), Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

* African Spoonbill ( Platalea alba ): Breeds in Africa and Madagascar.

* Comoro Islands, an archipelago lying between Madagascar and the African continent

** Alopochen: African and Mascarene shelducks ( Africa and Madagascar region ; 1 living species, 2-3 extinct )