How Large is Madagascar?

Madagascar is a very large island, the fourth largest in the world! It covers about 581,540 square kilometers (224,533 square miles). That’s almost twice the size of Arizona, 44% larger than California, and just a little bigger than all of metropolitan France!

Even though Madagascar is an island, it is so big that it feels more like a small continent. It stretches about 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) from north to south and 570 kilometers (350 miles) from east to west at its widest point. If you traveled from one end to the other, it would take days by car!

Madagascar is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, with a long coastline that stretches 4,828 kilometers (about 3,000 miles). That’s longer than the distance between New York and Los Angeles! The coastline is home to many beautiful beaches, coral reefs, and mangrove forests, where people fish and wildlife thrives.

As of 2005, about 18 million people lived in Madagascar. Today, the population is even larger, with more than 28 million people calling the island home. Most people live in cities like Antananarivo (the capital), Toamasina, and Mahajanga, but many also live in small villages in the countryside.

Because Madagascar is such a big island, it has many different landscapes. There are rainforests, dry deserts, high mountains, and grassy plains. These different environments help make Madagascar one of the most unique places on Earth!

Want to learn more about Madagascar’s cities and landscapes? You can find more information about places in Madagascar here!