Introduction
Madagascar has a 6,000-km coastline (Fig. 18.1.1 ), and is 1,600 km from north to south, with a maximum width of 600 km. It lies only 300 km off the east coast of Africa, from which it is separated by the Mozambique Channel, more than 4,000 m deep. According to geologists, the island was attached to Africa about 165 million years ago. As the continents drifted apart, the island of Madagascar broke away from Africa, and its fauna and flora have evolved along separate lines ever since.
Madagascar.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Battistini R (1995) The Sarodrano spit (in French). Norois 42, 165:63–71
Lebigre JM (1997) L The mangroves of the southwest of Madagascar (in French). In: Lebigre JM (ed) Milieux et sociétés dans le Sud-Ouest de Madagascar, vol 23. CRET, “Iles et Archipels”, pp 135–242
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Lebigre*, JM. (2010). Madagascar. In: Bird, E.C.F. (eds) Encyclopedia of the World's Coastal Landforms. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8639-7_204
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8639-7_204
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-8638-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-8639-7
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences