ABSTRACT
Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island, is a country of approximately 17 million people, located off of Africa’s southeast coast. Madagascar’s moderate-to-tropical climate has fostered a unique ecosystem that has produced flora and fauna found nowhere else on earth. Antananarivo, the nation’s capital and largest city, has a population of 1.1 million. Madagascar’s ethnic makeup consists of Malayo-Indonesian, Cotiers, French, Indian, Creole, and Comoran as well as African. The major languages spoken are Malagasy and French. Over half of the islanders practice traditional indigenous religions (52 percent); 41 percent are Christian and 7 percent are Muslim.
