Madagascar lies in the Indian Ocean off the coast of southeastern Africa. It is the world's fourth largest island, measuring about 980 miles long and as wide as 360 miles.

Formerly an independent kingdom, Madagascar became a French colony in 1896. It regained independence in 1960.

The tropical country features a variety of climatic regions including desertlike highlands and rain forests that receive as much as 120 inches of annual precipitation.

About 40 percent of Madagascar's birds are unique to the island, as are 80 percent of the flowers, 95 percent of the reptiles and 90 percent of the trees.

About 250,000 tourists visited Madagascar in 2007, and the island had about 300,000 visitors in 2008.

OTHER FACTS:•

OFFICIAL NAME — Repoblikan'I Madagasikara•

GOVERNMENT — Republic, with a president elected by popular vote for 5-year terms. President Marc Ravalomanana was elected in 2002 and re-elected for a second term. Prime ministers are appointed by the president. Prime Minister General Charles Rabemananjara was appointed in 2007.•

POPULATION —

18,595,469 as of 2006•

RELIGION — 36 percent indigenous beliefs, 59 percent Christian, 5 percent Muslim•

LANGUAGE — Malagasy•

ECONOMY — Monetary unit is the Ariary, worth 0.000055 U.S. dollars; Gross national income per capita was $309 as of 2005; Primary products include cattle, garnet, maize, cassava, mangoes, pepper, potatoes, rice, sugar cane, timber, vanilla, coffee, cocoa, cloves, peanuts and seafood.Main exports include coffee, cloves, vanilla, fish, shellfish, chromium, mica, graphite and clothing.Main industries are food processing, oil refining, mining, forestry, cement, breweries, tanneries, soap, paper, textiles, tourism and auto assembly.

SOURCE: Embassy of Madagascar in Washington, D.C.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.africaguide.com/ country/madagas/ or http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5460.htm