ABOUT
MADAGASCAR
Location
Regions
The North
W. Dry Forest
High Plateau
The East
S. Rain Forest
S. Dry Forest
National Parks
Cities
History
SITE MAP
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The people of Madagascar are engaged in a constant struggle to maintain the island nation's biodiversity. They depend on protected national parks, ecotourism, and new farming techniques to protect Madagascar's sensitive environment. Read more about Madagascar's unique flora, fauna and conservation efforts below.
Detailed information on Madagascar's 22 National Parks and Reserves shown on the following map is available by mail for residents of the USA and Canada. This informative pamphlet includes a summary chart of all Parks and Reserves, plus a description, climate, vegetation, animal species, facilities, and trails for each park.
| Send a self-addressed, stamped ($1.52 USD/$1.85Canada) 9"x12" envelope to the address at the bottom of this page and we will gladly send you the pamphlet by return mail. |
MADAGASCAR'S CONSERVATION MEASURES
 Madagascar is home to nine-tenths of all the world's lemur species, including the dwarf Microcebus, no bigger than a mouse; the very friendly Macaco; the Catta, with a distinctive gray body and long black-and-white striped tail; the Sifaka, which can leap 30 feet or more from branch to branch; the Indri, tallest of all lemurs; and the rarest of all lemurs, the Aye-aye. You may download a detailed list of Madagascar's lemurs as an Acrobat PDF file (get Acrobat Reader  free)
 Madagascar is considered a must-see by all serious birdwatchers. Visitors to the island are often amazed by the wide variety of rare and breathtakingly beautiful birds, including the marvelous Vangas, the beautiful Crested Coua, the remarkably colorful Roller bird, over 70 different species of singing birds and parrots, an abundance of gorgeous waterfowl, including herons and flamingos; and graceful birds of prey, such as the lightning-fast eagle and graceful falcon. You may download a detailed list of Madagascar's bird species as an Acrobat PDF file.
 Sheltering more than 10,000 varieties of plants (with more discovered daily), Madagascar is truly blanketed with one of the richest collections of flora in the world, including: 1,000 different species of orchids, including the stunning black orchid and the rarest of all orchids--the white-flowered Angraecum Sesquipedale. You'll also find the provident plant, a water-storing bottle tree, 6 different species of baobabs, the carnivorous pitcher plant, and more.
Because of its extraordinary biodiversity, Madagascar is the number one priority in the international community for conservation of endangered species and preservation. The responsible ecotraveler will greatly contribute to the international conservation effort, and will be very much welcomed by the friendly Malagasy.
Several agencies have joined forces with the people of Madagascar to protect the island nation's living treasures (click on links below). Visit out Resource Links page for additional Madagascar-related links.
The African Bird Club
The Aquatic Conservation Network
The Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network
Earthwatch
The Missouri Botanical Gardens
The Peregrine Fund
The Duke University Primate Center
The World Wildlife Fund
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