| Highlights |
Visitors are attracted to Madagascar for its outstanding flora and fauna, much of which is unique to the island including 3,000 endemic species of butterfly and many endemic species of lemurs. There is a huge diversity of animals including racoons, monkeys, marmots, bushbabies and sloths as well as many reptiles, amphibians, birds and plant life.
The country is divided into three main areas, the north, the south and the Central Highlands. The capital Antananarivo and several other important towns are situated in the central section of the Hauts Plateaux, the mountains that run from north to south down the centre of Madagascar. The lush north is dominated by two great mountains, Tsarantanana (2,800m) covered with giant ferns and lichens and Montagne 'Arbre (1,500m) which is a national park famous for its orchids and lemurs. The arid south is known for its many remarkable species of cactus-like plants and the highly developed funerary art of its inhabitants, past and present.
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