Question 1

What is the population of Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

The population of Madagascar is approximately 28.9M.

Question 2

How do people greet each other in Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

Say Manahoana (hello) with a handshake, and Veloma (goodbye) with a handshake; kissing on both cheeks is common among friends. Do: Shake hands when greeting and saying goodbye Kiss on both cheeks with friends Women and young people usually initiate greetings when meeting elderly people

Question 3

What are dining customs like in Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

Rice is the main staple, and many people eat it three times a day if they can afford it. Some families watch TV and discuss the day's events at mealtime. Rice features at most meals

Question 4

What etiquette should I know in Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

Malagasy people are warm and friendly in familiar settings but reserved with strangers, and refusing something offered without explanation is considered rude. Do: Give a proper explanation or make up an excuse rather than flatly saying no Respect that customs and dietary prohibitions (fady/taboos) vary from village to village Don't: Don't refuse anything offered without an explanation Don't expect strangers to start conversations with you The Malagasy attitude of vintana holds that fate is ordained by the position of the moon, sun, and stars

Question 5

How should I dress in Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

Both Western-style and traditional clothing are worn. Traditional items include the lamba, a bright multi-colored cloth reaching the ankles. In rural areas men wear malabars, cotton shirt-like garments

Question 6

How important is family in Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

The family system is very important, and respecting people is valued more than making money, with parents and the elderly especially respected and honored. Do: Show respect to parents and the elderly Most children begin school around age six On weekends family and friends gather to catch up on news

Question 7

What do people do for recreation in Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

Popular sports include soccer, volleyball, tolona (wrestling), and swimming, and family activities are also important. Fanorona is a traditional Malagasy board game where each player starts with 22 stones and wins by capturing all the opponent's stones Madagascar is known for basket-weaving and painting on silk

Question 8

What is the capital of Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

Antananarivo is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. Situated in the central highlands of the island, it serves as the country's political, economic, and cultural hub. Historically the seat of the Merina kingdom, the city became the administrative center during French colonial rule and retained that role after independence in 1960. Today it remains the heart of the country's government and commerce.

Question 9

Where is Madagascar located?

Accepted Answer

Madagascar is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean, off the southeastern coast of Africa. Separated from the African continent by the Mozambique Channel, it is the world's fourth-largest island. Though geographically close to Africa, its flora, fauna, and cultural heritage reflect a distinct blend of African, Southeast Asian, and Arab influences, making it one of the most ecologically and culturally unique places on Earth.

Question 10

What are the ocean and sea borders of Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

As an island nation, Madagascar shares no land borders. It is surrounded entirely by the Indian Ocean, with the Mozambique Channel lying to the west between the island and mainland Africa. The Comoros archipelago and the island of Réunion are among its closest neighbors across open water. This geographic isolation has contributed to an extraordinary level of biodiversity, with a vast proportion of the island's species found nowhere else on Earth.

Question 11

What religion is practiced in Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

Indigenous beliefs are practiced by the largest share of the population, accounting for approximately 52% of Malagasy people. Christianity follows at around 41%, with both Catholic and Protestant denominations having a significant presence, a legacy of European missionary activity during the 19th and 20th centuries. Muslims make up roughly 7% of the population, concentrated largely in coastal areas. Many Malagasy blend indigenous spiritual traditions — including ancestor veneration and the concept of vintana, or fate — with Christian practice.

Question 12

What is the currency of Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

The official currency of Madagascar is the Malagasy Ariary (MGA), which replaced the Malagasy Franc (MGF) as the country's legal tender in 2005. The Ariary is one of only two currencies in the world whose basic unit is not decimalized into tenths. The currency reflects Madagascar's post-colonial economic path as the country has navigated periods of state socialism and market liberalization since independence in 1960.

Question 13

What languages are spoken in Madagascar?

Accepted Answer

Malagasy and French are both official languages of Madagascar. Malagasy, an Austronesian language with roots tracing back to Borneo, is spoken by virtually the entire population and serves as the primary language of daily life and cultural identity. French remains widely used in government, higher education, and formal business contexts — a legacy of nearly six decades of French colonial administration that ended in 1960. School instruction is conducted primarily in French.

Question 14

What is the geography and terrain of Madagascar like?

Accepted Answer

Madagascar is the world's fourth-largest island, spanning approximately 587,041 square kilometers. The landscape is strikingly varied: a rugged central highland plateau, which includes the capital Antananarivo, forms the island's backbone, flanked by a narrow eastern coastal strip of tropical rainforest and a broader, drier western plain. The south and southwest are semi-arid to arid. Centuries of slash-and-burn agriculture have significantly reduced the island's original forest cover, contributing to severe soil erosion and biodiversity loss.

Question 15

What is Madagascar known for?

Accepted Answer

Madagascar is known above all for its extraordinary biodiversity, with more than 90% of its wildlife — including all of its lemur species — found nowhere else on Earth. The island is also recognized for the famadihana, or "turning of the bones," a distinctive ancestral ceremony in which families exhume and rewrap the remains of deceased relatives as an act of reverence and communal celebration. Madagascar is a leading global producer of vanilla and cloves, and its system of fady — traditional taboos governing social behavior and daily life — continues to shape cultural identity from village to village.

Madagascar

Declare Your Relationship to Madagascar

CountryReports Community

Quick Look Factsheet

Unlock the full Madagascar factsheet