| Geography | Madagascar |
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Location:
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Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique |
Geographic coordinates:
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20 00 S, 47 00 E |
Map references:
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Africa |
Area:
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total: 587,040 sq km
land: 581,540 sq km
water: 5,500 sq km |
Area - comparative:
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slightly less than twice the size of Arizona |
Land boundaries:
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0 km |
Coastline:
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4,828 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or 100 nm from the 2,500-m isobath |
Climate:
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tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south |
Terrain:
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narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m |
Natural resources:
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graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower |
Land use:
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arable land: 5.03%
permanent crops: 1.02%
other: 93.95% (2005) |
Irrigated land:
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10,860 sq km (2003) |
Total renewable water resources:
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337 cu km (1984) |
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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Total: 14.96 cu km/yr (3%/2%/96%)
Per capita: 804 cu m/yr (2000) |
Natural hazards:
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periodic cyclones, drought, and locust infestation |
Environment - current issues:
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soil erosion results from deforestation and overgrazing; desertification; surface water contaminated with raw sewage and other organic wastes; several endangered species of flora and fauna unique to the island |
Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note:
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world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along Mozambique Channel |
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