[mad-uh-gas-ker] 
| an island republic in the Indian Ocean, about 240 mi. (385 km) off the SE coast of Africa: formerly a French colony; gained independence 1960. 14,061,627; 227,800 sq. mi. (590,000 sq. km). Capital: Antananarivo. |
Mad·a·gas·car (mād'ə-gās'kər)  (click for larger image in new window) An island country in the Indian Ocean off the southeast coast of Africa comprising the island of Madagascar and several small islands. It was originally peopled by Indonesian and African groups around the end of the first century B.C. The French first established settlements on the island in 1642 and made it a colony in 1896. The country gained full independence as the Malagasy Republic in 1960 and was renamed Madagascar in 1975. Antananarivo is the capital and the largest city. Population: 19,400,000. Mad'a·gas'can adj. & n. |
Island republic in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. Its capital and largest city is Antananarivo.
Note: The island of Madagascar is the fourth largest in the world.
Note: Madagascar was under French control from the late nineteenth century until 1960, when it gained full independence. Its culture mixes European, African, and South Asian influences.
əˈgæs
