Madagascar                                                                                        
 

	Madagascar is a large island off the coast of Africa. The geography of
Madagascar is full of high peaks and large rivers. The type of government is
a republic. There are many religions and different types of people in
Madagascar. These three things are very important to Madagascar but the
geography is one of the most important. 
	The geography of Madagascar is full of many features. Madagascar is
located right off the coast of Southern Africa and lies in the western Indian
Ocean. A long time ago Madagascar was once connected to Africa.
Madagascar is 1,000 miles in length and 250 miles in width. It is known that
Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. The highest point in
Madagascar is Mount Maromoko. It is 9,436 feet high. The largest river is
Betsiboka and the largest lake is Lake Alaotra. Lake Alaotra is 25 miles
wide.   The government in Madagascar is very similar to the government in
the United States.
	The official name of the government in Madagascar is called the
Democratic Republic of Madagascar. The president of Madagascar is Albert 
Zafy and the prime minister is Francisque Revony. The first president ever
elected was Philibert Tsiranana. A president in Madagascar is elected for a
seven year term. When you are president you are the chief executive and head
of state. In 1960 the Malagasy Republic became an independent nation. The
people of Madagascar have many different religions and languages.
	In Madagascar the people are very unique. There are 13,186,000
people living in Madagascar. The many types of people are black Africans,
Arabic, and Malayo-Polynesian people. Christian and Muslim are the two
main religions in Madagascar. The two languages are Malagasy and French.
The education in Madagascar is free but only 55% of the children can read
and write. Children attend school from ages 6-14 years old.
	Madagascar is full of many unique  features. The geography of
Madagascar is full of peaks and rivers. Government is similar to ours in the
United States but many of the laws are different. There are a variety of
people with many different religions and cultures. Without a doubt
Madagascar is an island I would enjoy visiting.