Information about Madagascar the island.?

Madagascar can be a fascinating place. According to science it is an entire biosphere on its own, because it is an island. I have never been there, but I knew a family from there. When they emigrated they knew French and their native Malagash but absolutely no English, so be certain you can understand French or have a translator! In most of East Africa, people have experience with the English language.

You may also see some devastating sights in the cities. Madagascar was major trade route in the Indian Ocean, and all of those sailor passing through -- you guessed it -- spread diseases. It is a country which is currently *in* crisis due to HIV/AIDS infection; the highest infection rate in Africa. At the moment, they're not certain if there will be enough of an unaffected population to survive the next generation. However, it also has had a recent increase in outside help for prevention and treatment. The source below can give you some general facts.

This is an excerpt from a book, given in Barnes & Noble online:
Separated from the mainland of Africa for 160 million years, Madagascar has evolved an incredible wealth of biodiversity, with thousands of species that can be found nowhere else on earth. For instance, of its estimated 12,000 plant species, nearly 10,000 are unique to Madagascar. Malagasy animals are just as spectacular, from its almost forty currently recognized species of lemurs--a primate group found only here--to the numerous species of tiny dwarf chameleons. With astounding frequency scientists discover a previously unknown species in Madagascar--and at almost the same rate another natural area of habitat is degraded or destroyed, a combination that recently led conservation organizations to name Madagascar one of the most important and threatened conservation priorities on the planet. -- from The Natural History of Madagascar, Steven Goodman ed.

It is a beautiful place to visit. You will also see animals that are rare to find in other parts of the world.

Here's all the info you will ever need:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/fact...

Some basic facts from wikipedia.org:

Capital: Antananarivo
Largest city: Antananarivo
Official language(s): Malagasy, French

Government: Republic
President: Marc Ravalomanana
Prime Minister: Jacques Sylla

Independence Date From France: 26 June 1960

Area
- Total: 587,040 km虏, 226,597 sq mi
- Water (%): 013%

You can find lots more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madagascar