Country name: Republic of Madagascar
Location: Indian Ocean; S.E from African Continent
Size: 594,180 sq km (231,730 sq mi)
Population: 14 million
Capital city: Antananarivo (Tana) (pop 750,000)
People: Mainly Malayo-Indonesian & mixed African; also a large French,
Indian, and Chinese community
Language: Malagasy and French
Religion: Mainly Christian (official
religion)
Government: Republic with President, Prime Minister and Parliament.

The international conservation community has
singled out Madagascar as one of the richest
countries on the planet. With vastly different
habitats and a huge number of  some very weird species. Madagascar have nearly one-quarter of all the flowering plants in Africa. It also has 90% of the known species of lemurs, and half the world's chameleons are found there. Here are also
baobab trees, orchids, unique cacti and aloes from the dry areas.
However, across the decades population growth and the "slash-and-burn" techniques used in some areas to grow rice have reduced its originally vast rainforest to a remaining 15% , which is why Madagascar is also known as the "red island". A great number of endemic species are now
endangered and protection programs have been launched by the authorities in cooperation with
international conservation organizations.