Madagascar Madagascar / officially the Republic of Madagascar, formerly known as the Republic of Malagasy, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about 250 miles off the coast of East Africa. The country consists of the island of Madagascar and many small islands The state of Madagascar is an African country located in the Indian Ocean on the southeast coast of the African continent, and it is the fourth largest in the world, with a total area of about 587041 km², and it is officially known as the Republic of Madagascar, while it was called in the past by the name of the Malagasy Republic, and history began with his writings on this island With the beginnings of the seventh century, when the Muslims established commercial centers on its northwest coast, and in the Middle Ages, its kings expanded their trade wit...