Postcard landscapes, unusual activities and even unusual animals are there to offer you a glimpse of what the big island has in store for you! Madagascar is waiting for you to discover the treasures it contains. Madagascar (in Malagasy: Madagasikara), in long form Republic of Madagascar (in Malagasy: Repoblikan'i Madagasikara), is an island state located in the Indian Ocean and geographically attached to the African continent, from which it is separated by the Mozambique Channel . It is the fourth largest island in the world after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo. 1,580 km long and 580 km wide, Madagascar covers an area of 587,000 km2. Its capital is Antananarivo and the country's currency is the ariary. Its inhabitants, the Malagasy, are a people combining a mixture of populations of Austronesian and East African origins, but speaking a Malayo-Polynesian language: Malagasy. The country is surrounded by other islands and archipelagos: the Mascarenes (including Réunion and Mauritius), the Comoros (including Mayotte) and the Seychelles. Official languages Malagasy and French Capital city Antananarivo Total area 587,041 km2 Total population (2022) 26,955,737 inhabitants.