# Madagascar

| Republic o Madagascar * *Repoblikan'i Madagasikara*  (Malagasy)
* *République de Madagascar*  (French)
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| **Motto: "Fitiavana, Tanindrazana, Fandrosoana" (Malagasy)
* "Amour, Patrie, Progrès" (French)
* "Luve, Laund o Oor Auncestors, Progress"
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| **Anthem:Ry Tanindrazanay malala ô!* *Oh, Beluved Laund o oor Auncestors!*  |
| Location o  Madagascar  (daurk blue)– in Africae  (licht blue & daurk gray) – in the African Union  (licht blue) |
| Caipital and largest city | Antananarivo ﻿ / ﻿ |
| Offeecial leids | * Malagasy
* French
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| Ethnic groups (2004) | * 26% Merina
* 15% Betsimisaraka
* 12% Betsileo
* 7% Tsimihety
* 6% Sakalava
* 5% Antaisaka
* 5% Antandroy
* 24% ithers
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| Demonym(s) | Malagasy, Madagascan |
| Govrenment | Unitar semi-presidential constitutional republic |
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| • Preses  | Andry Rajoelina |
| • Prime Meenister  | Christian Ntsay |
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| Legislatur | Pairlament |
| • Upper house | Senate |
| • Lower house | Naitional Assembly |
| Unthirldom |
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| • frae Fraunce  | 26 Juin 1960 |
| • Current constitution  | 17 November 2010 |
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| Aurie |
| • Total | 587,041 km2 (226,658 sq mi) (47t) |
| • Water | 5,501 km2 (2,124 sq mi) |
| • Water (%) | 0.9% |
| Population |
| • 2016 estimate | 24,430,325 (52nt) |
| • 1993 census | 12,238,914 |
| • Density | 35.2/km2 (91.2/sq mi) (174t) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2017 estimate |
| • Total | $40.055 billion |
| • Per capita | $1,563 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2017 estimate |
| • Tot | $10.372 billion |
| • Per capita | $405 |
| Gini (2010) | 44.1 medium |
| HDI (2015) |  0.512 law · 158th |
| Currency | Malagasy ariary (MGA) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (not observed) |
| Drivin side | richt |
| Cawin code | +261 |
| ISO 3166 code | MG |
| Internet TLD | .mg |

The **Republic o Madagascar** (aulder name **Malagasy Republic**, French: *République malgache*, Malagasy: *Repoblikan'i Madagasikara* [republiˈkʲan madaɡasʲˈkʲarə̥]) is an island naition in the Indian Ocean aff the sootheastren coast o Africae. The main island, an aa cawed Madagascar, is the fowert-lairgest island in the warld.

Most archaeologists believe Madagascar wis first inhabitit sometime atween 300 BC an 500 AD bi Austronesian peoples arrivin on outrigger canoes frae Borneo an Sulawesi in the Indonesian archipelago. Suin afterward, Bantu migrants crossed the Mozambique Channel, an the population o the island began tae mix. Later Arab an East Africann migrants war added tae the mix. Madagascar wis ruled bi the local Merina kingdom in the 19t century an wis pairt o the French colonial empire frae 1890 tae 1960, when the current Republic o Madagascar became independent.

Malagasy, the local leid spoken bi the majority o the population, is an Austronesian leid an ane o the offeecial leids. The ither offeecial leid is French (offeecial syne unthirldom).

The primary releegions are Malagasy meethology an Christianity, but adherents tae ither faiths, Islam in parteecular, are foond throughoot the kintra.

Madagascar is hame tae as mony as 12,000 o the warld's plant species. Approximately 80% o aw plant an animal species foond in Madagascar are endemic, includin the lemur infraorder o primates, the carnivorous fossa, three bird families an three o the island's sax baobab species.