Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world by area, after Greenland, New Zealand and Borneo. It measures 1580 km from north-east to south-west and 570 km at its widest part. With an area of 594,180 km2 and a coastline of over 5000 km, it is slightly larger than France.

Its geography is divided into three parallel zones in the north-south direction: the low plateaus and plains of the west, the central highlands and the narrow eastern coast.

Politically, Madagascar is divided into six regions: Toliara (Tulear), Fianarantsoa, Mahajanga(Majunga), Toamasina (Tamatave), Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) and Antananarivo. The latter includes the capital, Antananarivo, more commonly known as Tana.

The highlands which, from north to south covering the island in almost its entire length in the backbone. It s are between 750 and 1350 m above the sea Tsaratanana northwest, Ankaratra, south of the capital, and Andringitra around Fianarantsoa are the three massive main and the volcanic peak Tsaratanana (2876 m), the highest point in Madagascar.

To the east, the highlands extend by steep cliffs and hills covered in tropical forest to a narrow coastal full. Along the east coast almost linear, extends Pangalanes, interior waterways more than 600 km consists of a series of canals and lakes, artificial or natural.

Slopes down more slowly in the western highlands, where the hills succeed to large coastal plains. This western area once covered by forests as most of the island is one vast savannah dotted with a few groves of deciduous trees. Malagasy people are practicing the most intensive agriculture. The west coast consists of mangrove swamps and long sandy beaches.
Southern Madagascar has the most arid landscapes.