Madagascar
 
Madagascar is a large island off the coast of Africa. The
geography of Madagascar is full of high peaks and large
rivers. The type of government is a republic. There are
many religions and different types of people in Madagascar.
These three things are very important to Madagascar but the
geography is one of the most important. The geography of
Madagascar is full of many features. Madagascar is located
right off the coast of Southern Africa and lies in the
western Indian Ocean. A long time ago Madagascar was once
connected to Africa. Madagascar is 1,000 miles in length
and 250 miles in width. It is known that Madagascar is the
fourth largest island in the world. The highest point in
Madagascar is Mount Maromoko. It is 9,436 feet high. The
largest river is Betsiboka and the largest lake is Lake
Alaotra. Lake Alaotra is 25 miles wide. The government in
Madagascar is very similar to the government in the United
States. The official name of the government in Madagascar
is called the Democratic Republic of Madagascar. The
president of Madagascar is Albert Zafy and the prime
minister is Francisque Revony. The first president ever
elected was Philibert Tsiranana. A president in Madagascar
is elected for a seven year term. When you are president
you are the chief executive and head of state. In 1960 the
Malagasy Republic became an independent nation. The people
of Madagascar have many different religions and languages.
In Madagascar the people are very unique. There are
13,186,000 people living in Madagascar. The many types of
people are black Africans, Arabic, and Malayo-Polynesian
people. Christian and Muslim are the two main religions in
Madagascar. The two languages are Malagasy and French. The
education in Madagascar is free but only 55% of the
children can read and write. Children attend school from
ages 6-14 years old. Madagascar is full of many unique
features. The geography of Madagascar is full of peaks and
rivers. Government is similar to ours in the United States
but many of the laws are different. There are a variety of
people with many different religions and cultures. Without
a doubt Madagascar is an island I would enjoy visiting.