Madagascar is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth largest island in the world. While Madagascar is an island off the coast of Africa, it was originally settled by people from Indonesia. Only later did African and Arab immigrants mix into the population of the island. As a result, Madagascar is a little bit of an oddity when compared to other African nations.

It is the home of five percent of the world's plant and animal species, 80 percent of which are unique to Madagascar. Among its most notable examples of biodiversity are the lemur infraorder of primates, three endemic bird families and six endemic baobab species.

Tourism targets the niche eco-tourism market, capitalizing on Madagascar's unique biodiversity, unspoiled natural habitats and lemur species. The only drawback for tourists is a lack of infrastructure; however this also ensures that crowds of foreigners are not overrunning the country.