a republic on the island of Madagascar; achieved independence from France in 1960
"Madagascar celebrated its first anniversary as an independent republic following its separation from French rule in 1960."
an island in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa; the 4th largest island in the world
"Madagascar is a unique island located in the Indian Ocean, situated off the southeastern coast of Africa."
A country and island off the east coast of Africa. Official name: Republic of Madagascar. Capital: Antananarivo
"Madagascar is an independent nation located as a large island off the eastern coast of Africa."
The name Madagascar comes from Middle French and was popularly believed to be a corrupted version of Mogadishu based on Marco Polo's misreading of Arabic. This theory is associated with early maps like the 12th-century Tabula Rogeriana by al-Idrisi, which represented some of the most advanced world cartography of that era.