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Madagascar, the world's fourth-largest island, is full of oddities and rarities. If you're partial to lizards, for example, you're in luck: You'll find more than half the world's species of chameleons there. You'll also find more than some 70 species of lemur, a family of wide-eyed, long-tailed primates that are exclusive to this one island. Madagascar's biodiversity also embraces some 220 endemic frog species, while more than half of the 210 breeding birds occur nowhere else in the world. And every year scientists discover new species of plants and animals in its deserts and forests.

But if Madagascar is a nature lover's dream, it can also be a traveler's nightmare. It's one of the poorest countries in the world—three-quarters of its 25.6 million people live on less than US$2 a day. Though warm, wet and fertile, the island produces barely enough to feed itself—one in 10 children there is chronically malnourished and it is one of the African countries most severely affected by climate change.

Politically, the situation in the country has improved since 2001, when a disputed election threw Madagascar into chaos. President Marc Ravalomanana opened up the country to foreign investment and tried to stamp out corruption and bad governance after years of mismanagement. The 2005 animated film Madagascar generated a lot of worldwide interest in this country off Africa's southeastern coast.

So there is hope for Madagascar, especially in the area of ecotourism. It has an exceptional variety of landscapes, from coral isles and virgin coastlines to baobab forests and craters. All of Africa has one variety of baobab tree, for example, and Madagascar has seven, as well as 19,000 species of plants—a world record.

However, Madagascar continues to face ongoing problems—regular flooding and cyclones (in 2004 and 2008, cyclones destroyed an estimated 300,000 structures, left 600,000 people homeless, and killed and injured scores more) and drought conditions in some areas.

The country is also constrained by lack of infrastructure (there are only about 3,700 mi/6,000 km of constructed roads in a country the size of France) and good hotels. So although tourists are heading there in ever-increasing numbers, Madagascar still has a long way to go before it ranks as a top tourist destination.

Geography

A high plateau separates the rain forests of Madagascar's eastern coast from the savannah and dry forest of the western plains. At its extremes, the northern tip of the island is tropical and humid, while some parts of the arid southwest receive only 2 in/5 cm of rain a year.

Outside the capital Antananarivo (almost always abbreviated as Tana) and the central plateau region, Madagascar is sparsely populated, with approximately 17 million people living in small, scattered villages. In general, clans descended from Indonesian and Malay settlers inhabit the highlands, and those of African stock live in the western coastal regions.

History

Scientists believe the chunk of land that became Madagascar broke from Africa around 160 million years ago, together with the present-day Indian subcontinent, and it has been isolated from all other landmasses for at least 60 million years.

The island remained uninhabited by humans until around 2,000-2,500 years ago. It is not clear who first inhabited it, but oral tradition suggests that originally it was home to a group of pygmies known as the Vazimbas.

The island's first settlers were Melanesians, who arrived in the sixth century. In succeeding centuries, Madagascar became an important link in the spice trade between Europe and Asia. African, Arab and European merchants visited the island, mixing with the descendants of Madagascar's original Southeast Asian settlers.

In time, the island's population split into more than a dozen tribes, the most powerful of which was the Merina, who ruled the central highlands. European and American pirates were a force in the early 17th century—they made the island a haven for those who plundered the merchant ships ferrying goods between Europe and Asia.

It wasn't until the 19th century that Madagascar was united into one country by the king of the Merina. His administration ruled until 1883, when the French invaded the country and turned it into a protectorate. In the following decades, the French suppressed a number of uprisings by the Malagasy, and Madagascar did not gain independence until 1960. Following the departure of the French, the island was controlled by a series of autocratic rulers who plundered the country and ruined its economy. The first free elections were not held until the 1990s.

In 2002, self-made millionaire Marc Ravalomanana swept into office as president after a disputed election with former incumbent Didier Ratsiraka. Ratsiraka was eventually forced out after eight months of demonstrations by supporters of Ravalomanana, whose dairy and oil-products business is the largest non-foreign-owned company on the island.

Ravalomanana tried to strengthen the economy by introducing free-market reforms, as well as diversifying diplomatic ties away from former colonial master France. In 2009, citizen protests caused President Ravalomanana to flee to South Africa.

In 2019, the elections changed the course of power, with the elected President Rajoelina. The president's goal is to stimulate the economy and reduce poverty in the next four years.

Snapshot

Madagascar's chief attractions are spectacular scenery, unique culture, lemurs, tropical islands, coral reefs and great beaches.

Madagascar will appeal to adventurous travelers who are willing to put up with often basic conditions to experience rare native species, the unique Malagasy culture, a truly exotic landscape and uncrowded beaches. More eco-friendly and sustainable accommodations are emerging, as well as small islands with eco-luxury resorts.

Potpourri

Hiragasy is a popular musical performance style in Madagascar, particularly in the highland areas. It mixes song, dance, speeches, theater and acrobatics.

The best-known Malagasy instrument is the valiha, a bamboo pole with up to 28 strings and frets around it. It resembles a bassoon but plays and sounds like a harp. The kabosy is a small four-stringed guitar that is similar to a ukelele, and the jejolava is a single-stringed instrument that is used together with a gourd.

Madagascar is one of the main rice producers in the world. In turn, one of the largest consumers. Almost all meals include rice. Mofos (pronounced "mufu"), which are small rice pancakes, are eaten at all meals.

In the province of Fianarantsoa, near Ambositra, the rural communities of Zafimaniry are real outdoor museums: You'll see stacks of red-roofed houses, and doors and windows decorated with masterful interlaced engravings.

About half of the world's species of chameleons can be found in Madagascar, and among them the world's largest and smallest chameleons.

This country is home to about 85 species of snakes—none are poisonous, although a few can inflict painful bites.

The Malagasy word for the Indri lemur is babakoto, meaning "little grandfather." Females are dominant in lemur society.

The colorful, all-purpose wraps worn by Malagasy women (and some men) are called lambas.

Madagascar is also known as the Great Red Island for the color of the arid land that predominates in the central region.

Endemic to Madagascar, Aepyornis maximus is possibly the largest bird that ever walked the earth, standing up to 10 ft/3 m tall, and about four times as heavy as an ostrich. It became extinct about 500 years ago, because of a combination of hunting and habitat destruction following human habitation of the island.

At least three other bird species endemic to Madagascar have become extinct since 1900, and 27 of the island's lemur species or subspecies are International Union for Conservation of Nature red-listed as endangered or critically endangered.

Many of Madagascar's rare plants and animals are threatened by the loss of habitat caused by slash-and-burn farming techniques (a practice the Malagasy call tavy). Some 85% of the country's indigenous forests have already been wiped out by subsistence farmers clearing land for cattle or rice paddies. Without tree cover, annual rains leach out the minerals, rendering the land unusable. Madagascar's red topsoil is being washed away at such a rate that the massive spillage into the Indian Ocean is visible from space.

The long-fingered aye-aye lemur appears to be made up from the spare parts of other animals: It has the ears of a bat, the face of a rodent and a skeletal third finger that it uses like a woodpecker to find grubs in the bark of trees.

More than 800 species of orchid have been recorded on Madagascar: Most are endemic, including the rubbery white-petaled comet orchid, a rare specimen whose flower grows up to 12 in/30 cm long. Charles Darwin once cited the comet orchid when he predicted the evolution of a moth with a tongue long enough to reach the nectar. His contemporaries ridiculed the idea, but in 1903 a moth with a proboscis of more than 12 in/30 cm was discovered on the island.

About 80% of the flowers, 40% of the birds, 95% of the reptiles and 90% of the trees found on Madagascar are unique to the island.

English is not widely spoken in Madagascar (outside of hotels), but a working knowledge of French goes a long way.

It's not everyone's cup of tea, but you might want to see the famadihana, when the Merina and Betsileio people exhume their long-dead relatives, rewrap them in new, colorful, fine silk and carry the remains through the streets in a joyful reunion (before they're reburied). These colorful celebrations take place in winter (July-September) and include partying, drinking and dancing. Famadihana literally means "the turning over" of the dead. The Malagasy believe that the body dies but not the soul, so the festival is an opportunity for the living to meet the dead. Some Merina and Betsileo families are now accepting tourists at their famadihanas, but be sure to arrange this in advance.

Some of the best artwork in Madagascar can be found at the resting places of the dead. The Mahafaly of southern Madagascar bury their relatives in wood or stone enclosures that are decorated with hand-carved wooden posts called aloalo and wooden boards with elaborate geometric designs.