<Tr> <Th> ISO 3166 code </Th> <Td> MG </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Internet TLD </Th> <Td>. mg </Td> </Tr> <P> Madagascar (/ ˌmædəˈɡæskər /; Malagasy: Madagasikara), officially the Republic of Madagascar (Malagasy: Repoblikan'i Madagasikara (republiˈkjan madaɡasˈkjarə̥); French: République de Madagascar), and previously known as the Malagasy Republic, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa . The nation comprises the island of Madagascar (the fourth - largest island in the world), and numerous smaller peripheral islands . Following the prehistoric breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana, Madagascar split from the Indian peninsula around 88 million years ago, allowing native plants and animals to evolve in relative isolation . Consequently, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot; over 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth . The island's diverse ecosystems and unique wildlife are threatened by the encroachment of the rapidly growing human population and other environmental threats . </P> <P> The first archaeological evidence for human foraging on Madagascar dates to 2000 BC . Human settlement of Madagascar occurred between 350 BC and AD 550 by Austronesian peoples, arriving on outrigger canoes from Borneo . These were joined around AD 1000 by Bantu migrants crossing the Mozambique Channel from East Africa . Other groups continued to settle on Madagascar over time, each one making lasting contributions to Malagasy cultural life . The Malagasy ethnic group is often divided into 18 or more subgroups of which the largest are the Merina of the central highlands . </P>

Where is madagascar located on the world map