Madagascar
world's fourth-largest island; strategic location along
Mozambique Channel
Malawi
landlocked; Lake Nyasa, some 580 km long, is the country's
most prominent physical feature
Malaysia
strategic location along Strait of Malacca and southern
South China Sea
Maldives
1,190 coral islands grouped into 26 atolls (200 inhabited
islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts); archipelago with
strategic location astride and along major sea lanes in Indian Ocean
Mali
landlocked; divided into three natural zones: the southern,
cultivated Sudanese; the central, semiarid Sahelian; and the
northern, arid Saharan
Malta
the country comprises an archipelago, with only the three
largest islands (Malta, Ghawdex or Gozo, and Kemmuna or Comino)
being inhabited; numerous bays provide good harbors; Malta and
Tunisia are discussing the commercial exploitation of the
continental shelf between their countries, particularly for oil
exploration
Marshall Islands
Bikini and Enewetak are former US nuclear test
sites; Kwajalein, the famous World War II battleground, is used as a
US missile test range; island city of Ebeye is the second largest
settlement in the Marshall Islands, after the capital of Majuro, and
one of the most densely populated locations in the Pacific
Mauritania
most of the population concentrated in the cities of
Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the
southern part of the country
Mauritius
the main island, from which the country derives its name,
is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral
reefs
Mayotte
part of Comoro Archipelago; 18 islands