Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world. It is slightly larger than France.
The highest point is Maromokotro, in the Tsaratanana Massif region in the north of the island. The capital, Antananarivo, is in the Hauts Plateaux near the centre of the island.
Madagascar is home to as many as 12,000 of the world’s plant species. Approximately 80% of all plant and animal species found in Madagascar are endemic and found nowhere else on Earth.