Hi! I’m Digger Mole and I work for NYCO Minerals. Did you know that our mineral, called “Wollastonite”, is shipped all around the world?
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WHERE IN THE WORLD IS... MADAGASCAR?
It’s time to get out your globe! You need to know about the imaginary lines on globes and maps. These lines are called lines of latitude and longitude, and they tell a pilot or ship’s captain exactly where in the world a certain place is located. Basically, latitude lines (also called parallels) are the horizontal lines on your map. Lines of longitude (also called meridians) are the vertical lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole. This mapping system is written in degrees and uses the symbol °. Get ready to travel the world!
You've heard of Madagascar, the movie, but where in the world is Madagascar, the country? To find Madagascar, get out your globe, and find longitude 47º E and latitude 20º S. Located in Southern Africa, the island of Madagascar is in the Indian Ocean, east of Mozambique. The island is about twice the size of the U.S. state of Arizona (and a little bigger than France), making it the world's fourth largest island! If you've seen the movie, you know that Madagascar is home to many wonderful plants and animals. But there are also over 20 million humans that call Madagascar home! These people share the island with 5% of the world's plant and animal species. Many of these plants and animals are found nowhere else in the world. There are 40 species of lemur that are indigenous to Madagascar! But the country isn't just a wildlife paradise. There are several endangered species on the island. It also has many natural hazards, like cyclones, drought and locust infestations. The terrain is varied. There are mountains and cliffs, plateaus and plains. You'll also find coastal beaches with mangroves, rain forests and farmland, as well as lagoons and bays. The coast is bordered by coral reefs and volcanic islands. July is the coolest month in Madagascar, and December is the Where in the warmest. World Word The people of Madagascar are called Malagasy. The country gained its indepenindigenous [in-dij-uhdence from France on June 26, 1960. The country's main agriculture crops are coffee, nuhs], native, or originating and living in a vanilla, sugarcane, cloves, cocoa, rice, cassava (tapioca), beans, bananas and peanuts. Sources: “Madagascar,” The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, certain area or country. www.cia.gov; "Madagascar," Encyclopædia Britannica.
JUNE 2009
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