Madagascar (also known as Malagasy Republic): One of the Indian Ocean Islands off the southeast coast of Africa. Its capital is Antananarivo. It was formerly called the Malagasy Republic. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1500, its history has been tied predominantly to the French, becoming a French protectorate in 1882,

NIH MeSH · D008270Geographicals

Madagascar

Also known asMalagasy Republic

Definition

One of the Indian Ocean Islands off the southeast coast of Africa. Its capital is Antananarivo. It was formerly called the Malagasy Republic. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1500, its history has been tied predominantly to the French, becoming a French protectorate in 1882, a French colony in 1896, and a territory within the French union in 1946. The Malagasy Republic was established in the French Community in 1958 but it achieved independence in 1960. Its name was changed to Madagascar in 1975. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p714)

MeSH classification

  • Z01.058.290.120.540
  • Z01.639.520.500

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Related concepts

Africa, Eastern

The geographical area of Africa comprising BURUNDI, DJIBOUTI, ERITREA, ETHIOPIA, KENYA, SOMALIA, SOUTH SUDAN, SUDAN, TANZANIA, and UGANDA.

Burundi

A republic in eastern Africa bounded on the north by RWANDA and on the south by TANZANIA. Its capital is Bujumbura.

Comoros

A group of Indian Ocean Islands, the islands of Great Comoro, Anjouan, Mayotte, and Moheli, lying between northeast Mozambique and northwest…

Djibouti

A republic in eastern Africa, on the Gulf of Aden at the entrance to the Red Sea. Djibouti is also the name of its capital.

Eritrea

A country of eastern Africa, west of the Red Sea, bordered west and northwest by SUDAN, and south by ETHIOPIA. Its capital is Asmara.

Ethiopia

An independent state in eastern Africa. Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered on the north and northeast by Eritrea, on …

Kenya

A republic in eastern Africa, south of ETHIOPIA, west of SOMALIA with TANZANIA to its south, and coastline on the Indian Ocean. Its capital …

Common questions about Madagascar

What does Madagascar mean in medicine?
One of the Indian Ocean Islands off the southeast coast of Africa. Its capital is Antananarivo. It was formerly called the Malagasy Republic. Discovered by the Portuguese in 1500, its history has been tied predominantly to the French, becoming a French protectorate in 1882, a French colony in 1896, and a territory within the French union in 1946. The Malagasy Republic was established in the French Community in 1958 but it achieved independence in 1960. Its name was changed to Madagascar in 1975. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p714) This definition is taken from the National Library of Medicine's MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) 2026 release, which is the standard vocabulary used to index PubMed and most medical literature.
Is Madagascar known by any other names?
Yes. Madagascar is also referred to as Malagasy Republic in different clinical, research and patient-facing contexts. The MeSH descriptor groups all of these synonyms under a single canonical concept so research and records stay consistent.
Where does Madagascar sit in the medical classification?
Madagascar falls under the broader medical category "Geographicals" in the MeSH hierarchy (tree numbers: Z01.058.290.120.540, Z01.639.520.500). Browsing the related concepts on this page takes you to neighbouring topics in the same branch of medicine.
Where can I get a plain-language explanation of Madagascar?
For a plain-language explanation of Madagascar - including symptoms, treatments and what it means for an Indian patient - ask GoDavaii's Health AI. It works in 22+ Indian languages, is free and needs no signup. Tap "Ask GoDavaii AI about Madagascar" above.

Source: NIH MeSH 2026 (D008270) — National Library of Medicine, public domain. View official MeSH record ↗