Madagascar: Introduction

The document introduces Madagascar as a low-income island nation with high biodiversity and significant vulnerability to extreme weather. It details the country's diverse precipitation patterns, its history of colonial rule and political instability—including a 2009 coup—and its current political landscape under President Andry Rajoelina. The text serves as a foundational context for the 'Current Path' development trajectory forecasts produced by the African Futures & Innovation program.

• Madagascar is highly susceptible to climate-related disasters, specifically cyclones, flooding, and drought, due to its socioeconomic conditions, topography, and geographic location.
• The country exhibits extreme variations in annual rainfall across different regions: the east coast can receive 3,500-4,000 mm, the central highlands 1,200-1,500 mm, and the west coast 800-1,200 mm, while the south and southwest are semi-arid to arid.
• Madagascar's political history has been marked by instability, including a 2001 disputed election and a 2009 coup d'état led by Andry Rajoelina, which resulted in international condemnation, the suspension of foreign aid, and suspension from the African Union.
• As of 2023, Madagascar is classified as a low-income country with a population of approximately 31.3 million, whose economy relies on textiles, tourism, mining, and subsistence agriculture.

APA

McLachlan, D. T., & Bello-Schünemann, J. (2026). Madagascar: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=MG&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

McLachlan, Du Toit, and Julia Bello-Schünemann. Madagascar: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=MG&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McLachlan |first1=Du Toit |last2=Bello-Schünemann |first2=Julia |title=Madagascar: Introduction |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=31 May 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=MG&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mclachlan2026madagascar, author = {McLachlan, Du Toit and Bello-Schünemann, Julia}, title = {{Madagascar: Introduction}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=MG&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }