Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
4,828 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or 100 NM from the 2,500-m deep isobath
Climate:
tropical along coast, temperate inland, arid in south
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain, high plateau and mountains in center
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Maromokotro 2,876 m
Natural resources:
graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands,
semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 4.41% permanent crops: 0.93% other: 94.66% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
10,900 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
periodic cyclones