Madagascar officially the Republic of Madagascar (Malagasy: Repoblikan'i Madagasikara Malagasy pronunciation: French: République de Madagascar), and previously known as the Malagasy Republic, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately 400 kilometres (250 miles) off the coast of East Africa.
IMadagascar, ngokusemthethweni yiRiphabhlikhi yaseMadagascar, futhi phambilini yaziwa njengeRiphabhulikhi yaseMalagasy, iyizwe eliyisiqhingi elise-Indian Ocean, cishe amakhilomitha angama-400 ukusuka ogwini lwaseMpumalanga Afrika.