The people eat rice, vegetables, fruit, and sometimes meat and fish. Most of Madagascar's adults can read and write. Almost all the children attend primary schools, but only about a fifth of the children attend high school. The University of Madagascar's main campus is in Antananarivo. Northern Madagascar has fertile soil.
Mountains separate it from the rest of the island.
Western Madagascar has wide plains, some fertile river valleys, and a fairly sheltered coast. A narrow plain lies along the east coast, but reefs and storms make the east coast dangerous for ships. Some coastal shipping uses the Ampanalana Canal, which runs along the east coast between Mahavelona and Farafangana. The climate is warm and humid on the coast. The southern end of the island is mainly desert and has a hot, dry climate.