Madagascar: The World's Fourth-Largest Island

Madagascar, off Africa's southeast coast in the Indian Ocean, is the fourth-largest island globally (after Greenland, New Guinea, Borneo). At ~587,000 km², it's also the 47th largest country by area.

Its long isolation created extraordinary biodiversity: ~90% of its wildlife (lemurs, fossas, chameleons, baobabs, orchids) is endemic. Landscapes range from eastern rainforests and central highlands to western dry deciduous forests and southern spiny deserts. Capital: Antananarivo.