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Madagascar
is a sparsely populated island located 250-400
miles off the eastern coast of Africa, just
south of the equator. At 1580 km (1000 miles)
long and 600km wide, Madagascar is the world's fourth largest
island.
A nature-lover's paradise, Madagascar is filled
with rich and fascinating |
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opportunities for exploration. The mountains, rain
forests, river valleys, coastal plains, grasslands,
caverns and deserts offer a wealth of diversity
and wonder.
Among its natural resources, Madagascar is home
to nine-tenths of the world's lemur species. It
is also considered to be a prime spot for serious
bird watchers. With more than 10 000 varieties of
plants, this tropical paradise is blanketed with
one of the richest collections of flora in the world,
including 1 000 different species of orchids and
6 different species of baobab trees.
Once a French colony, Madagascar was granted its
political independance in 1958. The official language
is French. The local language with various dialects is Malagasy, which is a synthesis of Indonesian,
African and Arabic elements. French is also widely
spoken throughout Madagascar.
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