Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean that is located southeast of Mainland Africa. It is the second largest island county in the world behind Indonesia and the fourth largest island overall. As of 2025, Madagascar has a population of 31,964,956 citizens, nearly all of whom are members of the Merina tribe of Malagasy people. The capital city of Madagascar is Antananarivo, which is also the largest city on the island. Most people on the island speak Malagasy, but French is the official language of the country and is used exclusively by the country’s government.
History
180 million years ago, Madagascar and India were part of the supercontinent Gondwana. After Gondwana split 90 million years ago, Madagascar was left isolated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, which allowed the island’s diverse wildlife to evolve. Austronesians reached the island around 500 CE, but no centralized state existed until the 18th century, when the Kingdom of Madagascar was founded by the Merina tribe.
After the monarchy was abolished in 1896, Madagascar became a protectorate of France. In 1959, the Malagasy Republic was proclaimed upon gaining independence from French colonial rule. This nation lasted until 1975, when President Didier Ratsiraka turned Madagascar into a socialist country with ties to the Soviet Union. The country returned to democracy in 1992 after Ratsiraka resigned as president.
In 2009, a political crisis a coup d’état brought Andry Rajoelina to power was the country’s president. Rajoelina would subsequently be re-elected in both 2018 and 2023. Rajoelina’s rule over the country lasted until 2025, when a Gen-Z protest led to President Rajoelina being deposed, martial law being declared, and curfews being instituted in the city of Antananarivo. This political crisis is still ongoing as of this article’s publication.