Madagascar is an island nation in theIndian Ocean on the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth largest island in the world. More than 1000 miles (1580 km) long and 350 miles (570 km) wide, Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. The most prominent feature rugged mountains should be parallel with the entire east coast. Madagascar is located in the Indian Ocean 250 miles off the east coast of Africa across the Strait of Mozambique, south of the equator. Calling Madagascar an island almost seems unfair. Leaf forests, crystal lakes, caverns, and grassland savanna dot vast western plains, and the southern tip of the island is covered with majestic desert.

A nature lovers paradise, and his friend Maromokofro many give way to a narrow coastal plains. There, you’ll find great rivers, stunning waterfalls, and the remnants of an ancient rain forest. This sparsely populated land-area occupies more than twice the size of Great Britain, and crisscrossed by no fewer than six different micro-climates! Madagascar’s highest mountain, Mt. Maromokotro, an impressive tower of 9450 feet (2876 m) in the area north of the island. Eastern slopes of Mt. Garden of Eden as the wealth was filled with so much diversity in life and in geography it is unlike any other island anywhere on Earth. It is no exaggeration to claim that micro-continent, as some have called it, offers limitless opportunities for exploration. Indeed, every expedition into the mountains, its rain forests, valleys of its rivers, its coastal plains, prairie, caves, and deserts led to his discovery of somenew plant or animal species.

Madagascar consists of six different areas by various climate:

1. East. The Betsimisaraka, the second largest ethnic group in Madagascar, friendly, laid back and fun loving. Marie, once a haven of pirates and is now a much sought after destination for beach lovers, the East Coast, and especially the Masoala Peninsula with exceptional concentration of fauna and flora are unique, largely undiscovered, and must for lovers of serious nature. Cash crops such as coffee, vanilla, cloves, and all the tropical fruits grown on the East Coast, making the local population is generally more prosperous than in other regions of Madagascar. With the exception of Ile Ste. (Maroantsetra including both the North and East region because it is considered by many to be the remaining channels of pristine rain forest on the east coast of Madagascar.)

2. Southern Dry Forest. The area is very wide and varied is home to “the people of the thorns”Antandroy on the beach, for Vezo nomadic fishermen, and the Mahafaly famous for their funerary art. South accounted for the benefit of the unique vegetation where tropical moist forest meets the southern dry forest, and is the gateway to the famous Berenty Reserve, National Park Andohela, Beza Mahafaly, the Isalo National Park, and the boom town Ilakaka, where exceptional quality sapphire was mined at this time. While the extreme tip of Madagascar southestern surrounding Ft. Dauphin receives abundant rainfall, the southwestern tip of extreme rainfall have virtually none at all. This is known as the “Grand Sud” and is one of Madagascar’s most attractive regions: remote, harsh, deserted exotic plant with incredibly beautiful scenery, endless beaches clean sand dunes, and strange.

3. Western Dry Forest. This is the area of ??spectacular scenery with majestic baobabs and “forest” of karst peaks of the World Heritage site of Tsingy of Bemaraha. Sakalava people’s homes, large ethnic groups with African beliefs and customs of interest such as a spirit, tromba and the cult of royal heritage, the West is a large area with only remnants of forests, dry leaves that once covered the entire domain. It is hot and dry throughout the year and the two main cities, Majunga (Mahajunga) and Morondava the Malagasy favorite for beach holidays.

4. Southern Rain Forest. This is known as the “Grand Sud” and is one of the most attractive regions of Madagascar: lush virgin rain forests, magnificent granite rock formations, and exotic flora and fauna on the east side, and beautiful scenery, endless beaches clean sand dunes, and plant strange exotic on the west side. While the southeastern region of Madagascar receives abundant rainfall, the southwestern region of extreme rainfall have virtually none at all. South accounted for the benefit of the unique vegetation where tropical moist forest meets the southern dry forest and rain forest southern including Ranomafana and Andringitra National Park is newly developed.

5. North. Despite being the closest to the equator, very long dry season of seven months, was followed by intense rains from December to April, giving the area north of Madagascar, a separate identity. Sparsely inhabited but with a rich mix of ethnic groups: Antakarana, Sakalava, Tsimihety, Betsimisaraka and Antandroy, the area is isolated from the across the country by rugged mountains Tsaratanana. Secluded coves, tranquil lagoons, windswept promontories, wide pastures and rain forest height is much varied and offers a wide palette of landscapes, people, fauna and flora.

6. High Plateau. Outside the two main cities of Antananarivo (Madagascar capital) and Antsirabe (once a resort town / spa and is now an industrial center), the primary calling of agriculture because the soil is warm climate and fertile throughout the year in which each plant may be grown, except for tree cherries. Rural views of terraced rice fields along Route Nationale 7 from Antananarivo to Fianarantsoa prove the Merina people of Asian descent and Betsileo, Madagascar’s political and intellectual elite.