Madagascar is the world’s fourth-largest island behind Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo.
Madagascar has been an island since about 88 million years ago when it split from India after the supercontinent Gondwana had broken up.
Because of its isolation, more than 80 per cent of the plants and animal species found on Madagascar are seen nowhere else on Earth.
There are more than 100 species and sub-species of lemurs in Madagascar.
The currency unit in Madagascar is the ariary, which is divided into five iraimbilanja.
Hery Rajaonarimampianina, the president of Madagascar, has a longer surname than any other president in the world.
Ninety per cent of the people in Madagascar live on less than two dollars a day.
The first human settlers in Madagascar are thought to have arrived around 350BC in canoes from Borneo.
About 80 per cent of the world’s vanilla comes from Madagascar.
Madagascar stands in 35th place in the world rankings for its national sport of rugby.
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