Madagascar

the Republic Madagascar is had on the island with the same name and several adjoining small islands by a total area 587  thousand sq. km in Indian ocean. From the African continent Madagascar it is unbound Mozambique channel the in width to 400  km. Official languages - malagasijsky and French.

Madagascar - the fourth island on magnitude in the world, drawn down from the north on the south almost on 1600  km and differing very original nature. Through all east part of island from the north on the south the Central uplands (the High plateau), broken by tectonic processes on separate blocks in altitude to 2876  were drew through; m (a country climate). On Madagascar it is a lot of lost volcanoes; earthquakes are frequent. The plateau is cut by valleys of the rivers, in dints large and small loches were formed. In the east the Central uplands are lowered by two abrupt terraces to ocean, alongshore which the narrow lowland was drew through. The western part of island is occupied by wider lowlands and low plains which broad terraces form transition to uplands blocks. Marine coast in the west flat, with numerous sandy deltas of the high-water rivers. Almost everywhere the water front is bordered by powerful coral colonys, and east shore is cut up by assemblage of small fakes and the gulfs occluded from ocean by small coral reefs.

The Climate of Madagascar tropical, mid-annual temperatures 20-30  °C though on the Central uplands of temperature decrease to 13-20  °C. Deposits on bayshore lowland falls out to 3000  mm a year (140 rainy days in a year), on uplands a climate much more chilly - from 1000-1500  m in the east to 500-600  mm in the west (less 400  mm in the extreme southwest).

The island Vegetation has considerably variated under the influence activity of the person: there is no time continuous evergreen wet tropical woods with giant arbours (including palisander, ebenovoe arbours, rubber plants) were saved by only small fragments (for example, in national park TSaratanana in the north of island). In secondary savannahs (with rare baobabs and palm trees) there is a well-known arbour of travellers - Madagascar ravenala, similar to a huge fan. In mounts a bamboo tangle is usual, and in the most droughty part - cactuses, a spurge grow characteristic for tropical semi-desert of an aloe. Along the western coast wood mangrove family, and on east - groves of coconut palms lasts. The fauna of Madagascar is unique, but many aspects are irrevocably annihilated by the person. Lemurs of different aspects, entomophagous tenreki, mongooses, water wild boars, diverse bats are most interesting.

Almost all population of Madagascar (from above 13,2  million persons) - the Malagasies sharply differing from the people of continental Africa and closer to mongoloidnoj to strain (Malayan phylum), though and with an admixing negroidnoj. Tongue also is close to tongues of the Western Indonesia. The majority of the population adheres to traditional convictions (the cult of ancestors, therefore gravestone monuments is passed especially round differ an originality, oof, often are decorated by sculptures), more than third of inhabitants - christians. Principal views of holdings - farming agriculture (coffee, spices, a sugarcane, rice) and fishery. Weaving from a vegetable fibre, woodcarving, weaving (including from a fibre of a palm tree of a raffia), a list on ceramics is everywhere widespread.

Capital - a city of Antananarivo with the semimillion population, originated almost three centuries ago. Among old buildings the former royal palace which has been had on the highest point of a city deposits, it is a lot of and other beautiful buildings of complex architecture. Other large cities - Toamasina, Mahadzanga, Antseranana, Antsirabe.