Where is Madagascar?

Madagascar, located on the southeast coast of the African continent, is the largest island in Africa and the fourth largest island in the world, next only to Greenland, new guinea and kalimantan island. Located in the southwest of the Indian Ocean, facing the African continent across the mozambique channel, the nearest distance is 386 kilometers. It covers an area of 627,000 square kilometers. Madagascar is a long and narrow island with a coastal area of 39,965,438+0 km. It is hilly in the west, narrow in the north and south, wide in the middle and 576 km at the widest point.

Madagascar, the only country on the island, is rich in tourism resources. However, due to the lack of service facilities, the government is actively preparing for the construction, focusing on the development of tourism and encouraging foreign investment. China's tourists mainly come from some countries in western Europe, and Gulf Island and St. Mary's Island are its main tourist attractions.

zone

Geologically, the island originally belonged to the African continent because its geological structure is very similar to that of the African continent. The basement of the whole island is composed of ancient crystalline rocks, and 2/3 of the basement is exposed on the surface, forming a plateau running through the whole island. Hills, volcanoes and basins are intricately distributed on the plateau. The eastern margin of the plateau is a big fault, which makes the eastern slope steep and the coastal plain narrow (16 ~ 80 km wide); The west is a gentle slope, which descends slowly in steps. The average elevation of central Madagascar is 800 ~ 1500m, which is usually called the central plateau. Mount Marumukutulu, the main peak of Chalatanana, is located in the northern part of the plateau, with an altitude of 2876 meters, which is the highest point in the country. Arautela Lake, located in the middle of the plateau, is the largest lake in Madagascar. The eastern part is a belt-shaped lowland with many sand dunes and lagoons. The west is a gentle slope plain, and the highest 500-meter plateau gradually descends to the coastal plain. There are four main rivers on the plateau, namely Bezibuka, Chiri Buchner, Manguji and Mangulu.

climate

The island is almost in the tropical zone, and the tropic of Capricorn passes through the south of the island, and the climate is restricted by the southeast trade winds and its topography. The eastern coast and the eastern slope of the plateau are affected by the southeast trade winds all the year round, with high temperature and rain, and the annual rainfall generally exceeds 2500 mm, which is evenly distributed in seasons, forming a tropical rainforest landscape; The southeast coast has a tropical rainforest climate, which is hot and humid all year round, with no obvious seasonal changes. The annual average temperature is 24℃, and the annual precipitation is 2000 ~ 3000mm. Dense tropical plants and forests are growing. Central tropical plateau climate, mild and cool, fertile land. The western part of the island has a savanna climate. Due to the rain in the west of the island, there is less precipitation, while in the north of the island, there is more 1000 mm, and the rainfall gradually decreases to about 400 mm to the south, which is divided into dry season and rainy season, and the dry season increases from north to south. Natural vegetation is mainly tropical savanna or sparse forest, and a small semi-desert can be seen in the southwest. The central part of the plateau is relatively high, with an average elevation of 1200 ~ 1400 m, a monthly average temperature of less than 20℃, and an annual precipitation of 1000 ~ 1800 mm. The main vegetation is short grass and the forest area is small.

resources

The island is rich in natural resources, with graphite reserves ranking first in Africa, followed by mica, uranium, precious stones, gold, silver, copper, nickel, chromium and coal. The rivers on the island are fast-flowing, and the hydropower generation potential is huge. The forest area is 6.5438+0.47 million hectares. There are rice, cassava, corn and other food crops, and rice is close to self-sufficiency. The main cash crops are coffee, clove, sisal, sugarcane, peanuts, cotton and so on. The output and export of Huanila rank first in the world. The vast grassland area on the island provides favorable natural conditions for the development of animal husbandry. Cattle raising is the most important sector in its animal husbandry. The total number of cattle on the island exceeds the population on the island, so Madagascar is also called "Cattle Island".

More than 2,000 years ago, people first discovered this island and lived here. Most of these early residents came from Asia and Africa, and since then, they have also had a far-reaching impact here. Madagascar's unique history seems to explain its exceptionally rich species-about 200,000 species of animals and plants, including fossa, small carnivores and about 35 species of lemurs, which are not found anywhere else on earth. Fossa is the largest beast on the island because of its small forest area. There are lush rainforests and scorching plains, and even the crown here is like a tree root stretching out into the sky. It is full of strange spiny plants and many cold stalagmites. In a word, this island is a natural temple full of countless magical life, with all kinds of strange species.