Madagascar

Overview

Madagascar, the world's fourth-largest island, lies in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa, separated from the mainland by the Mozambique Channel. The island was one of the last major landmasses on Earth settled by humans: Austronesian voyagers from Borneo arrived between roughly 500 and 700 CE, and Bantu-speaking migrants from East Africa followed around 1000 CE. From these populations emerged some eighteen ethnic groups, of which the Merina of the central highlands became the largest.

History

The Merina Kingdom arose around 1540 and, under King Andrianampoinimerina and his son Radama I, unified most of the island during the 19th century, making Antananarivo the political center. Queen Ranavalona I (r. 1828–1861) pursued a policy of isolationism and self-sufficiency, repelling European influence. France nonetheless tightened its grip, establishing a protectorate in the 1880s and declaring Madagascar a colony on 6 August 1896. After the Menalamba rebellion was crushed, the monarchy was abolished in 1897 and Queen Ranavalona III was exiled.

The autonomous Malagasy Republic was proclaimed on 14 October 1958 within the French Community, and full independence followed on 26 June 1960, with Philibert Tsiranana as president of the First Republic. A 1972 uprising led to military rule, and in 1975 Didier Ratsiraka established the socialist Democratic Republic of Madagascar, which governed until the Third Republic's constitution of 1992. A political crisis in 2009 brought Andry Rajoelina to power in what was widely condemned as a coup; the Fourth Republic was established under a 2010 constitution. In October 2025, mass protests culminated in another coup, installing Colonel Michael Randrianirina at the head of a military junta.

Later history and present status

With about 32 million people, Madagascar is a least-developed country whose economy rests on agriculture — it is a leading vanilla producer — along with ecotourism drawn by an ecosystem in which over 90 percent of wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth. Malagasy and French are official languages; Christianity predominates alongside traditional beliefs.