Madagascar+Geography

The Geography of Madagascar

Location: The country of Madagascar is an island in the Indian Ocean that is located in the Southern part of Africa.

Geographic Coordinates: 20 00 S, 47 00 E

Surrounding Countries: Madagascar is an island, which means it is completely surrounded by a body of water. In this case, that body of water is the Indian Ocean. The countries that Madagascar are closest to are on the southeast coast of the continent. They are: Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania.

Size: The country of Madagascar is slightly smaller than the state of Arizona doubled.

Elevation: The lowest point of Madagascar is the Indian Ocean at 0 meters and the highest point is Maromokotro at 2,876 meters.

Climate: The climate is tropical along the coast, temperate inland, and arid in the south. Monsoons can bring rainstorms into the islands from the months of December to March. The dry season in Madagascar is from April to October. In the mountainous regions, from November to April the climate is warm and thundery and cool and dry for the rest of the year.

Terrain: The terrain of Madagascar is diverse. It is a narrow coastal plain that is mountainous in the middle and also is a high plateau.

Land Use:

The main use of the land in Madagascar is listed as "other" in the CIA World Factbook. Only 1.02% of the land in the country is used as permanent farming land, and 5.03% of the land is capable of having crops grown on it.

Natural Resources: The natural resources of Madagascar are: >
 * graphite (The lead in most pencils is made out of graphite!)
 * chromite (A chemical used in steel production.)
 * coal (Coal can be used to heat furnaces, power trains, and used as a gas for many other objects.)
 * bauxite (Bauxite is the most common core that is used in producing aluminum.)
 * salt (Salt can be used in many different ways. Table salt, and rock salt for the roads are just two uses! Can you think of more?)
 * quartz (Quartz can be used as a gemstone in jewelry. It can also be used to make glass.)
 * tar sands (Madagascar uses tar sands as a part of oil production in their country. Using this method results in really low tax rates.)
 * semiprecious stones (Semiprecious stones are found in a lot of jewelry here in your hometown!)
 * mica (Mica is used for insulation within wires and heating units.)
 * fish (Fish can be used many different ways as food. People also use fish oil as a nutritional supplement.)
 * hydro power (Hydropower is a form of power that relies on a water source for its energy.)

Population of Madagascar:
 * Madagascar's current population is 20,653,556.
 * Based on the number of people in each country, Madagascar has the 56th largest population.

Sources used on this page: " Population 2010 country ranks, alphabetical." Photius Coutsoukis; Photius; Photios; Fotis Koutsoukis - sustained by working capital in the world. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. . " Madagascar Oil brings tar sands project to London market | Business | The Guardian ." Latest news, comment and reviews from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. . "Mineral Properties, Uses and Descriptions - GEOLOGY.COM." Geology.com - Earth Science News, Maps, Dictionary, Articles, Jobs. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2010. . [] Weather and Climate information for Madagascar. (n.d.). Travel Guides - World Travel Guide. Retrieved December 2, 2010, from http://www.worldtravelguide.net/madagascar/weather Africa Travel Notes: African Travel Guides @ TravelNotes.org. (n.d.). TravelNotes.org - The Online Guide to Travel. Retrieved December 8, 2010, from http://www.travelnotes.org/Africa/
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