Madagascar: What kind of country, what kind of island, and what were the penguins’ names

When we hear the word “Madagascar”, the tune “I like to move it, move it” involuntarily starts playing in our heads, and dancing lemurs and a quartet of resourceful penguins appear before our eyes. Animation gave this place incredible publicity, but the paradox is that the real Madagascar is far more amazing, stranger, and more colorful than any screenwriter’s fiction. It’s a world that developed according to its own laws for millions of years, a place where evolution took an alternative path, creating creatures found nowhere else.

Let’s figure out what Madagascar is really like: is it an island-reserve, a poor but proud republic, or just a backdrop for a children’s fairy tale?

What kind of island: geography and unique nature

Madagascar is often called the “eighth continent” or “lost world”. And these are not just beautiful metaphors, but a scientific fact based on the geological history of this landmass.

Where is Madagascar located

If you look at a globe, the answer to the question seems obvious. It is located in the western part of the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. The wide and turbulent Mozambique Channel separates it from the mainland. The distance to Africa is about 400 kilometers at its narrowest point, but this water barrier became an insurmountable wall for most African animals, which allowed the island’s nature to be preserved.

Size matters

Many underestimate the scale of this state, believing it to be a small tropical island that can be circumnavigated in a day. This is a big misconception. If you ask what size island Madagascar is, the answer will surprise you: it is the fourth largest in the world! Only icy Greenland, tropical New Guinea, and Borneo are larger. Madagascar’s area exceeds that of France or Spain. It has its own deserts, rainforests, high plateaus, and endless beaches.

The Great Isolation

Madagascar’s main “feature” is its isolation. About 160 million years ago, it broke away from the supercontinent Gondwana, and approximately 88 million years ago, it finally separated from India. Since then, the local flora and fauna have evolved in complete isolation.

The result is astounding: 80–90% of all plants and animals in Madagascar are endemic. This means they are found nowhere else on Earth. There are no familiar lions, giraffes, or zebras here (sorry, Marty from the cartoon!). Instead, creatures that seem to be assembled from parts of other animals live here.

Main symbols of the island

• Lemurs. They are the island’s calling card. Lemurs once lived in Africa too, but more developed monkeys displaced them there. In Madagascar, however, they had no competitors. Today, over 100 species of these primates live here: from the tiny mouse lemur weighing 30 grams to the large Indri, whose howl resembles whale song and echoes for kilometers through the jungle.

• Avenue of the Baobabs. The most photographed place in the country. Along a dirt road near the town of Morondava, giant trees, about 800 years old, stand in a row. Local legend says that the gods, in anger, pulled out the baobabs and stuck them back in upside down — and that’s how they grow.

• Tsingy de Bemaraha. A unique “Stone Forest”. This is a giant plateau covered with razor-sharp limestone needles up to 50 meters high. Movement here is only possible via special suspension bridges, and below, in the dark crevices, a life inaccessible to humans flows.

What kind of country: people, culture, and economy

Beyond its exotic nature, it’s important not to forget that Madagascar is also a state with a complex history and unique population.

Political map

The official name is the Republic of Madagascar. The heart of the country beats in the center of the island, on the High Plateau. There lies the capital with a hard-to-pronounce name — Antananarivo. Locals, to avoid tongue-twisters, affectionately call it “Tana”. It’s a bustling, hilly city where colonial mansions stand alongside rice paddies and modern buildings. If you decide to buy tickets to Antananarivo on Kupi.com, be prepared for your journey to begin in this colorful anthill.

Who are the Malagasy people

If you look at the inhabitants of Madagascar, you’ll notice something strange. They don’t quite resemble Africans. The mystery of where Madagascar is and where Asia is, is solved through genetics. The first people arrived here not from nearby Africa, but from distant Indonesian islands (Borneo) by canoe about 2000 years ago. Later, settlers from East Africa and Arabs joined them.

Modern Malagasy people (as the island’s inhabitants are called) are a unique “cocktail” of Asian and African genes. This is reflected in everything: they grow rice and eat it three times a day (like Asians), but they also revere ancestor worship and raise humped zebu cattle (like African tribes).

Language and currency

For a long time, the island was a French colony, and this legacy lives on. French is an official language alongside Malagasy. In schools, government institutions, and business, the language of Voltaire is spoken, so a tourist with knowledge of French will feel comfortable here. The local currency is called “ariary”. It is one of the few currencies in the world that is not divided by 10 or 100, but has a base-five numbering system, which often confuses visitors.

What the country lives on

Madagascar’s economy is a story of natural wealth and human poverty. The country is the world’s largest supplier of natural vanilla. The famous “Bourbon vanilla,” which we love in ice cream and baked goods, originates from here. The island also exports cloves, coffee, cocoa, lychees, and shrimp. The textile industry and tourism are two other important pillars of the economy. But despite this, Madagascar remains one of the poorest countries in the world, where the life of an ordinary person often depends on the rice harvest and the weather.

Tourism: why a traveler should go

Madagascar is not a destination for “all-inclusive” lovers, but for adventure seekers. People come here for emotions that cannot be experienced in civilized Europe.

When is the best time to fly

The island is in the Southern Hemisphere, so the seasons here are “reversed”. Summer (hot and humid) lasts from November to March. During this time, there is a high risk of cyclones, and many roads are washed out. The ideal time to visit is the local winter, i.e., the period from April to October-November. During this time, it is dry, not too hot, and you can travel almost everywhere.

What to do

• See whales off Sainte Marie Island. From June to September, the strait between Sainte Marie Island and mainland Madagascar teems with humpback whales. They come here from Antarctica to mate and give birth to their young. The sight of a 40-ton giant leaping out of the water is unforgettable.

• Feed lemurs in national parks.In Vakona Park or Andasibe, lemurs are so accustomed to people that they unhesitatingly jump onto your shoulders, demanding treats. This is that moment of unity with nature for which it’s worth looking for tickets to Antananarivo (with several transfers, of course).

• Photograph baobabs at sunset. The Avenue of the Baobabs at sunset is painted in fantastic colors, creating a landscape from another planet.

Basic recommendations for tourists

• Logistics: roads in Madagascar are poor. A distance of 200 km can take 6–8 hours. Plan domestic flights or allow plenty of time for transfers.

• Health: drink only bottled water. Malaria prevention is recommended, especially if you are traveling to coastal humid areas.

• Money: cards are rarely accepted; it’s better to bring cash euros or dollars and exchange them in large cities.

The iconic question: what were the penguins’ names?

Let’s be honest, many only learned about the existence of this island thanks to the DreamWorks masterpiece. And although the real Madagascar is very different from the cartoon one, the characters have become so familiar that they cannot be ignored. So, what were the names of the penguins from Madagascar, that elite special group that could hijack an ocean liner and fix a plane with duct tape?

The Commando Quartet

1. Skipper. The permanent leader of the group, a stern commander with military manners and a flat forehead.

2. Kowalski. The brains of the team, chief analyst and scientist. The tallest and slimmest of the quartet.

3. Rico. The psychopathic demolitions expert and weapons master. He barely speaks, communicating mostly through sounds and growls.

4. Private. In some translations — Ryadovoy. The youngest, shortest, and plumpest penguin.

King Julien: who is he really?

The self-obsessed lemur king Julien XIII, who loves to dance, is a ring-tailed lemur (catta). This is the most recognizable lemur species thanks to its long striped tail (black and white rings), which they hold like a pipe when moving. In reality, lemurs have a matriarchy, so a queen would most likely rule, but Julien’s charisma forgives this biological inaccuracy.

Myth debunked: do penguins really live in Madagascar?

This is the most important question tourists ask guides. Spoiler: no, penguins do not live in Madagascar.

In reality, penguins primarily inhabit Antarctica, as well as the southern coasts of Africa (South Africa), South America, Australia, and New Zealand. The northernmost penguins live on the Galapagos Islands, but this is an exception related to cold currents. For penguins, Madagascar’s climate is too hot and tropical. In the cartoon, this point is played out: the characters ended up on the island by mistake, having gone off course, and were themselves shocked by the local nature. So you won’t be able to meet Skipper and his team in the forests of Andasibe, but you’ll find plenty of lemurs!

Madagascar is not just a backdrop for a funny cartoon, but also one of the most biodiverse and unusual corners of the planet, worth seeing with your own eyes. And even though there are no penguins here, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a real lost world that was waiting just for you.