Country Information
Madagascar (officially: French: République de Madagascar, or Malagasy: Repoblikan ‘i Madagasikara) lies 400 km east of Africa's east coast, along the Mozambique Channel.
Madagascar is, after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo, the fourth largest island in the world.
The surface area covers 587,041 km² and Madagascar is therefore about as large as France and Belgium combined.
From north to south the greatest distance is 1580 km, and from east to west the greatest distance is 579 km.
The highest point in Madagascar is Maromokotro, which is 2,876 metres high.
Madagascar is also called the “Red Island,” a reference to its reddish-brown earth.
Through the central mountain range that runs across the island
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Madagascar, a country with a very varied landscape.
To the north lies the Montagne d’Ambre mountain range with forests full of ferns, palms, and other enormous trees.
Slightly further south lies the largely volcanic Ankarantra Mountains with many caves, caverns, limestone formations, and underground rivers.
It continues to the north and south with an average height of 1500 metres.
The east coast is tropically humid and tropical rainforests are found here.
The southwestern tip of Madagascar is a very dry desert region with huge spiny thickets.
Between the savanna landscape to the north-west and the desert landscape to the south-west lies a further area with a steppe landscape.
In the northwest, the coast has many deep inlets, with numerous islands lying offshore.
Except in the far north and south, a 15 to 110 km wide, flat and marshy coastal plain lies along the west coast.
The largest rivers are the Manambdo and the Tsiribihina.
Holidays and sights
Madagascar has set its sights on increasing tourism. The target is at least 700,000 visitors per year.
In high season, there's a risk of a hotel room shortage, and in many smaller places, there are no amenities at all.
Furthermore, transport by bus, train and taxi is unreliable and sometimes very dangerous.
A positive is that several French hotel chains are currently investing in luxury coastal accommodation. The main city is Antananarivo.
In Madagascar, you'll find beaches that are of tourist interest and others that haven't even been explored yet.
There's something for everyone, whether you're looking for luxury or something more authentic.
The most popular beaches are in Diego, Anakao, the areas around Morondava, and the islands of Nosy Be, Sainte Marie, and Nosy Ve.
The unique Baobab trees can be found throughout the country.
Just an hour's drive from Morondava, there's a unique set of trees along the roadside where you can take exceptional photos at sunset.
The main tourist attraction in Madagascar is the impressive stone forests.
It's not easy to get there, it takes a full day by 4x4 over rough terrain.
There are two parks, Big Tsingy and Small Tsingy. You won't regret it.
Climate and Weather
Madagascar has a tropical climate that is largely determined by the southeast trade winds.
November, with plenty of thunderstorms, is the wettest month, although the east coast experiences rainfall practically all year round.
The summer lasts from November to March and it is then very warm with quite a lot of rainfall.
From April to October, the dry season lasts, with lower temperatures. During the dry season, a constant easterly wind blows.
Climatologically, Madagascar can be divided into six regions:
Weston
The rainfall varies greatly from north to south.
Most of the rain falls in the months of November to April. In Majunga in the northwest, an average of 1520 mm falls per year.
Toliara in the southwest receives an average of only 360 mm per year.
There are seven to eight dry months. The difference between day and night temperatures increases the further south you go.
Central plateau
Temperature and rainfall are influenced by the variations in altitude here.
Thus, the day and night temperature in the capital Antananarivo can differ by as much as 14°C.
In the winter months, the temperature on the high plateau around Antananarivo can drop to freezing point. The rainy season falls in November-December. Most rain falls in Antsirabe, 1400 mm.
On the plateaus, the temperature rarely rises above 23°C.
Austria
In the northeast and central areas, there is no real dry period.
The southeast experiences somewhat drier, more stable weather. In February and March, it can rain heavily and the chance of cyclones is greatest then.
The most rain falls in Maroantsetra, 4100 mm per year. The least rain falls in Taolagnaro, 1520 mm per year.
Southwest
This is the driest region of Madagascar. In the western part, only 50 mm falls per year, and in the eastern part, only 340 mm, mostly in the months of November and December.
North
The climate in the north is very similar to that of the eastern regions, apart from the Antsiranana region, where only 920 mm of rain falls per year. The rain falls mainly between December and April.
Northwest of Sambirano
This small region, owing to its location, has its own unique climate with regular periods of heavy rain interspersed with sunny spells.
Source: landenweb.nl
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