The MCB Tour Championship – Madagascar will write its name in the golf history books when it becomes the first European Tour-sanctioned event to take place in the country. Here are some things to know about the Indian Ocean island.
Madagascar is big, very big
Situated off the coast of East Africa, Madagascar is the second largest island country and the fourth largest island in the world. The area of the land is over 220,000 square miles with the centre of the island doubling in altitude from 2,400 feet to nearly 5,000 feet in the central highland mountains.
You could fit England, Scotland and Wales inside Madagascar two and a half times, while the island of Ireland would fit eight times. It has a population of more than 26 million Malagasies and is more populous than Australia.
Wildlife paradise
Madagascar is home to some of the rarest species in the world, and according to WWF, 95 per cent of Madagascar’s reptiles, 89 percent of its plant life, and 92 percent of its mammals exist nowhere else on Earth.
Made popular by the 2005 film Madagascar, the island is renowned for its species of lemur with over 60 different types living on the island, from ring-tailed lemurs to aye-aye lemurs. However, unlike the films, you will not see any lions, tigers or hippos.
Amazing Antananarivo
The capital of Madagascar is home to approximately two million people and the country’s largest city and trade centre.
The city was founded and reigned over by King Andrianjaka from 1612 to 1630, who erected the first royal structure, the Rova of Antananarivo. The largest of these structures is Manjakamiadana, known as the Queen’s Palace. The building now serves as a museum showcasing royal artefacts.
