Manao ahoana! Welcome to the “Eighth Continent”—Madagascar!

A massive island nation off the southeast coast of Africa. There are around 30 million people living here, and the capital is Antananarivo, a colorful city built on hills. The official languages are Malagasy and French.

Madagascar covers about 587,041 square kilometers (226,658 square miles). The country is roughly the same size as the state of Texas in the U.S., or about the same size as France. It is the fourth-largest island in the world, and because it has been isolated for millions of years, about 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth.

The most popular sport is Football, though Rugby is also incredibly popular and the national team is known as the “Makis.” Their national animal is the Ring-tailed Lemur, the most famous of the island’s 100+ lemur species.

The flag consists of a vertical white stripe on the left and two horizontal stripes of red and green on the right, where the white and red represent the history and sovereignty of the Merina Kingdom and the green stands for the coastal people and hope.

The food is centered around rice—in fact, many Malagasy people eat rice three times a day! You must try Romazava, the national dish, which is a meat and leafy green stew flavored with ginger and tomato. Another staple is Ravitoto, shredded cassava leaves cooked with coconut milk and pork. Madagascar is the world’s leading producer of Vanilla, so you’ll find it flavoring everything from desserts to seafood.

Madagascar is home to the Avenue of the Baobabs, a group of ancient, massive trees that look like they were planted upside down. The country also features the Tsingy de Bemaraha, a “forest” of razor-sharp limestone needles that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Because of its unique evolution, you can find strange creatures like the Aiye-aye (a nocturnal lemur) and the Fossa (a cat-like predator). The culture is a fascinating blend of Southeast Asian, African, and European influences, reflected in the traditional Zebu (humped cattle) herding and the unique ancestral burial customs.

From the turquoise waters of Nosy Be to the misty rainforests of Ranomafana, Madagascar is a world of its own. Misaotra! That means “Thank you!”