MADAGASCAR, a large island in the Indian Ocean, 230 miles from the E. coast of Africa, from which it is sepa rated by Mozambique Channel; length, 980 miles; average breadth, 360 miles; area, about 228,500 square miles; pop. (1917) 3,545,264. Madagascar may be described as an elevated region, with an average height of 3,000 to 5,000 feet, overlooked by mountains rising in some cases to nearly 9,000 feet. The coast ex hibits a number of indentations, mostly small, but few good harbors, being in great part rock, though in some places low and sandy. On some parts of the coast are numerous lagoons. The rivers are numerous yet few of them offer even to a mchirate extent the advan tages of internal navigation. The c'i mate is oppressively hot on the coast, but temperate on the highlands of the interior. The rainy season continues from December to April. The vegetable products grown for food include rice, manioc or cassava, sweet potatoes, ground nuts, and yams. Ginger, pepper, and indigo grow wild in the woods; cot ton, sugar cane, coffee, tobacco, and hemp are cultivated. Coal is found in the N. W., rice, cattle, hides. gum, india-rubber, wax, cotton, sugar, vanilla, lard, and coffee are exported to Mauritius, Reunion. and Europe, Humped cattle are found in immense herds, and form a large dart of the wealth of the inhabitants, as do also sheep, goats, swine, and horses. The most charac teristic of the mammals are the lemurs.
The birds are numerous; snakes are rare; crocodiles, lizards, chameleons abound. The inhabitants, called Mala gasy, belong to the Malayo-Polynesian stock and speak a Malayan language. The Hovas are the ruling tribe. they having extended their sway over nearly the whole island. The Malagasy show much aptitude as silversmiths, gun smiths, carpenters, and with rude looms make handsome cloths. Capital, Antana. narivo, a striking and well-built town; pop. (1917) 63,115, on a lofty hill about 200 miles inland; principal port, Taina tave, on the E. coast; pop. about 9,000; chief port on the N. W. coast is Ma junga; pop. about 7,000.
Prior to 1895 the government was an absolute monarchy under Queen Ranava lona III. A French Resident, however, with a military escort, resided at the court and controlled foreign relations, so that the country was virtually a French protectorate. Much friction pre vailed in 1893-1894, between the govern ment and the French authorities, and finally France decided to make her pro tectorate of the island effective. The island was made a French colony. Under French rule the colony has prospered, commerce has been developed, and in 1917 the combined imports and exports amounted to over $40,000,000. Madagas car has telegraph communication with other countries, and is a wireless tele graph station.