Country Summary
This page presents high-level information for Madagascar's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter). Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Madagascar's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.
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Madagascar is a large island nation located in the southwestern part of the Indian Ocean, just off the southeastern edge of the African continent. Madagascar is the fifth largest island in the world. The country encompasses a diversity of ecosystems, with a highland plateau extending throughout the center, fringed by low-lying coastal areas on all sides and a number of rivers. The key sectors of the country’s national economy include agriculture, fishery, and livestock production. Madagascar faces significant risks imposed by an increasingly variable and changing climate. Madagascar's population was 27.5 million in 2020.
Madagascar is one of the African countries most severely affected by climate change impacts and experiences an average of three cyclones per year. Madagascar’s National Policy to Combat Climate Change, developed in 2010, has as its primary goal to “strengthen adaptation to climate change.” The Ministry of the Environment, of Ecology, the Sea, and Forests (MEEMF) is responsible for coordinating, implementing, and mainstreaming climate change actions in social and economic sectors.